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Table set for Serving from the Side. 




Table set for Serving on the Table. 



PRACTICAL COOKING 



AND 



DINNER GIVINa. 



A TREATISE CONTAINING 

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS IN COOKING; IN THE COM- 
BINATION AND SERVING OF DISHES; AND 
IN THE FASHIONABLE MODES OF EN- 
TERTAINING AT BREAKFAST, 
LUNCH, AND DINNER. 



By MRS. MARY F. HENDERSON. 



ILLUSTRATED. 










NEW YORK: 
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 

FEANKLIN SQUABB. 

18V6. 



a-' 2- 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by 

Harper & Brothers, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO MY FRIEND 



Mes. ELLEN EWING SHERMAN, 



A LADY WHO STUDIES THE COMFORTS OF HER HOUSEHOLD, 



THESE RECEIPTS ARE AFFECTIONATELY 



IBeTjfcat£"d. 



PREFACE. 



The aim of this book is to indicate how to serve 
dishes, and to entertain company at breakfast, lunch, 
and dinner, as well as to give cooking receipts. Too 
many receipts are avoided, although quite enough are 
furnished for any practical cook-bbok. There are gen- 
erally only two or three really good modes of cooking a 
material, and one becomes bewildered and discouraged 
in trying to select and practice from books which con- 
tain often from a thousand to three thousand receipts. 

E'o claim is laid to originality. " Eeceipts which 
have not stood the test of time and experience are of 
but little worth." The author has willingly availed 
herself of the labors of others, and, having carefully 
compared existing works — adding here and subtracting 
there, as experience dictated— and having also pursued 
courses of study with cooking teachers in America and 
in Europe, she hopes that she has produced a simple 
and practical book, which will enable a family to live 
well and in good style, and, at the same time, with rea- 
sonable economy. 

The absence from previous publications of reliable 



10 PREFACE. 

information as to the manner of serving meals has been 
noticed. Fortunately, the fashionable mode is one cal- 
culated to give the least anxiety and trouble to a host- 
ess. 

Care has been taken to show how it is possible with 
moderate means to keep a hospitable table, leaving each 
reader for herself to consider the manifold advantages 
of making home, so far as good living is concerned, com- 
fortable and happy. 

M. R H. 

St. Louis, ISTe. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Setting the Table and Serving the Dinner 13 

The Dinner Party ^ ' 

Cooking as an Accomplishment ^^ 

QO 

Breakfast 

Lunch ^^ 

Gentlemen's Suppers ^^ 

Evening Parties ^" 

Something about Economy 40 

Directions and Explanations ^^ 

Cooking Utensils ^^ 

Bread, and Breakfast Cakes ^^ 

Tea '« 

Coffee ' 

Chocolate '° 

Cocoa l^ 

Soup ^^ 

Fish ^|- 

Shell-fish 

Sauces ^ ^^ 

129 



Veal 1^^ 

Sweet-breads 

MniTON ''* 

LA>.B ]ll 

Pork \f 

Poultry , 

Geese, Ducks, and Game 1^^ 

IQO 
Vegetables 

Shells, or Coquilles 206 

Potting ^^^ 

Macaroni ■ ^^^ 

Eggs 212 

Salads ^^^ 



13 CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Fritters 229 

Pastry 232 

Canning 244 

Preserves 248 

Pickles and Catchups 25Y 

Cheese 262 

Sweet Sauces for Puddings 266 

Puddings and Custards 269 

Bavarian Creams 282 

Desserts of Rice 286 

Wine Jellies 290 

Cake 294 

Candies 305 

Ices 306 

Cookery for the Sick 315 

Some Dishes for " Baby " 334 

How to Serve Fruits 336 

Beverages 339 

Suitable Combination of Dishes 342 

Serving of Wines 345 

To Prepare Company Dinners '. 349 

English and French Glossary 359 

General Index 365 



PRACTICAL COOKING, 

AND 

DINNER GIVING. 



SETTING THE TABLE AND SERVING THE DINNER. 

An animated controversy for a long time existed as to the 
best mode of serving a dinner. Two distinct and clearly de- 
fined styles, known as the English and Russian, each having its 
advantages and disadvantages, were the subject of contention. 
It is perhaps fortunate that a compromise between them has 
been so generally adopted by the fashionable classes in En- 
gland, France, and America as to constitute a new style, which 
supersedes, in a measure, the other two. 

In serving a dinner a la Husse, the table is decorated by 
placing the dessert in a tasteful manner around a centre-piece 
of flowers. This furnishes a happy mode of gratifying other 
senses than that of taste ; for while the appetite is being satis- 
fied, the flowers exhale their fragrance, and give to the eye what 
never fails to please the refined and cultivated guest. 

In this style the dishes are brought to the table already 
carved, and ready for serving, thus depriving the cook of the 
power to display his decorative art, and the host of his skill in 
carving. Each dish is served as a separate course, only one 
vegetable being allowed for a course, unless used merely for the 
purpose of garnishing. 

The English mode is to set the whole of each course, often 
containing many dishes, at once upon the table. Such dishes 



14 PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

as require carving, after Laving been once placed on the dinner- 
table, are removed to a side-table, and there carved by an expert 
servant. Serving several dishes at one time, of course, impaiis 
the quality of many, on account of the impossibility of keeping 
them hot. This might, in fact, render some dishes quite worth- 
less. 

And now, before giving the details of serving a dinner on the 
newer compromise plan, I will describe the " setting" or arrang- 
ing of the table, which may be advantageously adopted, what- 
ever the mode of serving. 

In the first place, a round table five feet in diameter is the 
best calculated to show off a dinner. If of this size, it may be 
decorated to great advantage, and conveniently used for six or 
eight persons, without enlargement. 

Put a thick baize under the table-cloth. This is quite indis- 
pensable. It prevents noise, and the finest and handsomest 
table-linen looks comparatively thin and sleazy on a bare 
table. 

Do not put starch in the napkins, as it renders them stiff and 
disagreeable, and only a very little in the table-cloth. They 
should be thick enough, and, at the same time, of fine enough 
texture, to have firmness without starch. Too much can not be 
said as to the pleasant effect of a dinner, when the table-linen 
is of spotless purity, and the dishes and silver are perfectly 
bright. 

Although many ornaments may be used in decorating the 
table, yet nothing is so pretty and so indicative of a refined 
taste as fiowers. If you have no epergne for them, use a com- 
potier or raised dish, with a plate upon the top, to hold cut 
flowers; or place flower -pots with blossoming plants on the 
table. A net -work of wire, painted green, or of wood or cro- 
chet work, may be used to conceal the roughness of the flower- 
pot. A still prettier arrangement is to set the pot in a jar- 
diniere vase. 

At a dinner party, place a little bouquet by the side of the 
plate of each lady, in a small glass or silver bouquet - holder. 
At the gentlemen's plates put a little bunch of three or four 
flowers, called a boutonniere, in the folds of the napkin. As 



PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 15 

soon as the gentlemen are seated at table, they may attach 
them to the left lapel of the coat. 

Place the dessert in two or four fancy dessert - dishes around 
the centre-piece, which, by-the-way, should not be high enough 
to obstruct the view of persons sitting at opposite sides of the 
table. The dessert will consist of fruits, fresh or candied, pre- 
served ginger, or preserves of any kind, fancy cakes, candies, 
nuts, raisins, etc. 

Put as many knives, forks, and spoons by the side of the 
plate of each person as will be necessary to use in all the dif- 
ferent courses. Place the knives and spoons on the right side, 
and the forks on the left side, of the plates. This saves the 
trouble of replacing a knife and fork or spoon as each course 
is brought on. Many prefer the latter arrangement, as they 
object to the appearance of so many knives, etc., by the sides 
of a plate. This is, of course, a matter of taste. I concede 
the preferable appearance of the latter plan, but confess a 
great liking for any arrangement which saves extra work and 
confusion. 

Place the napkin, neatly folded, on the plate, with a piece of 
bread an inch thick, and three inches long, or a small cold bread 
roll, in the folds or on the top of the napkin. 

Put a glass for water, and as many wine-glasses as are neces- 
sary at each plate. Fill the water-glass just before the dinner 
is announced, unless caraffes are used. These are kept on the 
table all the time, well filled with water, one caraffe being suf- 
ficient for two or three persons. All the wine intended to be 
served decanted should be placed on the table, conveniently ar- 
ranged at different points. 

At opposite sides of the table place salt and pepper stands, 
together with the different fancy spoons, crossed by their side, 
which may be necessary at private dinners, for serving dishes. 

Select as many plates as will be necessary for all the different 
courses. Those intended for cold dishes, such as salad, dessert, 
etc., place on the sideboard, or at any convenient place. Have 
those plates intended for dessert already prepared, with a fin- 
ger-bowl on each plate. The finger-glasses should be half 
filled with water, with a slice of lemon in each, or a geranium 



16 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



leaf and one flower, or a little boutonniere : a sprig of lemon- 
verbena is pretty, and leaves a pleasant odor on the fingers after 
pressing it in the bowl. In Paris, the water is generally warm, 
and scented with peppermint. 

Some place folded fruit - napkins under each finger-bowl; 
others have little fancy net -work mats, made of thread or 
crochet cotton, which are intended to protect handsome paint- 
ed dessert-plates from scratches which the finger-bowls might 
possibly make. 

The warm dishes — not hot dishes — keep in a tin closet or on 
the top shelf of the range until the moment of serving. A 
plate of bread should also be on the sideboard. 

Place the soup -tureen (with soup that has been brought to 
the boiling-point just before serving) and the soup-plates before 
the seat of the hostess. 

Dinner being now ready, it should be announced by the but- 
ler or dining-room maid. Never ring a bell for a meal. Bells 
do very well for country inns and steamboats, but in private 
houses the menage should be conducted with as little noise as 
possible. 

With these preliminaries, one can see that it requires very 
little trouble to serve the dinner. There should be no confu- 
sion or anxiety about it. It is a simple routine. Each dish is 
served as a separate course. The butler first places the pile of 
plates necessary for the course before the host or hostess. He 
next sets the dish to be served before the host or hostess, just 
beyond the pile of plates. The soup, salad, and dessert should 
be placed invariably before the hostess, and every other dish 
before the host. As each plate is ready, the host puts it upon 
the small salver held by the butler, who then with his own hand 
places this and the other plates in a similar manner on the ta- 
ble before each of the guests. If a second dish is served in the 
course, the butler, putting in it a spoon, presents it on the left 
side of each person, allowing him to help himself. As soon as 
any one has finished with his plate, the butler should remove it 
immediately, without waiting for others to finish. This would 
take too much time. When all the plates are removed, the but- 
ler should bring on the next course. It is not necessary to use 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 17 

the cmmh - scraper to clean the cloth until just before the des- 
sert is served. He should proceed in the same manner to dis- 
tribute and take ofE the plates until the dessert is served, when 
he can leave the room. 

This is little enough every-day ceremony for families of the 
most moderate pretensions, and it is also enough for the finest 
dinner party, with the simple addition of more waiters, and dis- 
tribution of the work among them. It is well that this simple 
ceremony should be daily observed, for many reasons. The 
dishes themselves taste better ; moreover, the cook takes more 
pride, and is more particular to have his articles well cooked, 
and to present a better appearance, when each dish is in this 
way subjected to a special regard : and is it not always prefer- 
able to have a few well -cooked dishes to many indifferently 
and carelessly prepared ? At the same time, each dish is in its 
perfection, hot from the fire, and ready to be eaten at once ; 
then, again, one has the benefit of the full flavor of the dish, 
without mingling it with that of a multiplicity of others. There 
is really very little extra work in being absolutely methodical in 
every-day living. With this habit, there oeases to be any anxi- 
ety in entertaining. There is nothing more distressing at a 
dinner company than to see a hostess ill at ease, or to detect an 
interchange of nervous glances between her and the servants. 
A host and hostess seem insensibly to control the feelings of 
all the guests, it matters not how many there may be. In well- 
appointed houses, a word is not spoken at the dinner between 
the hostess and attendants. What necessity, when the servants 
are in the daily practice of their duties ? 

If one has nothing for dinner but soup, hash, and lettuce, 
put them on the table in style : serve them in three courses, 
and one will imagine it a much better dinner than if carelessly 
served. 

Let it be remembered that the above is the rule prescribed 
for every-day living. With large dinner parties, the plan might 
be changed, in one respect, i. e., in having the dishes, in courses, 
put on the table for exhibition, and then taken off, to be carved 
quickly and delicately at a side-table by an experienced butler. 
This gives the host time to entertain his guests at his ease, in- 



18 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

stead of being absorbed in the fatiguing occupation of carving 
for twelve or fourteen people. 

These rules in France constitute an invariable and daily cus- 
tom for private dinners, as well as for those of greater preten- 
sions. Every thing is served there also as a separate course, 
even each vegetable, unless used as a garnish. In America and 
England this plan is not generally liked, although in both these 
countries it is adopted by many. Americans like, at least, one 
vegetable with each substantial, a taste, it is to be hoped, that 
will not be changed by the dictates of fashion. Then, if dishes 
are to be carved at a side -table, the one - vegetable plan causes 
the placing of the principal dish on the table before carving to 
appear more sensible. 

When the butler places a dish on the table, and tarries a mo- 
ment or so for every one to look at it, if it does not happen 
to be so very attractive in appearance the performance seems 
very absurd; but when, after putting on the substantial dish, 
he places a vegetable dish at the other end of the table, his 
taking the substantial to carve seems a more rational proceed- 
ing. 

I would suggest, when there is only one dish for a course, 
which is to be taken off the table to be carved, that the dish 
should be put on first ; then, that the butler should return for 
the plates, instead of placing the plates on first, as should be 
done in all other cases. 

At small dinners, I would not have the butler to be carver. 
It is a graceful and useful accomplishment for a gentleman to 
know how to carve well. At small dinners, where the dishes 
can not be large, the attendant labor must be light ; and, in this 
case, does it not seem more hospitable and home -like for the 
gentleman to carve himself ? Does it not disarm restraint, and 
mark the only difference there is between home and hotel din- 
ners? 

In "Gastronomic," M. M. believes in a compromise on the 
carving question. He says, "There were professional carvers, 
and this important art was anciently performed at the sound of 
music, and with appropriate gesticulations. We wish our mod- 
ern gourmands would follow the very good example of Trimal- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 19 

chio in this respect, and, if they must have their viands carved 
on the sideboard by servants, take care that, like his carvers, 
they are trained to his art. We shall take the opportunity of 
entering our protest against an innovation which is going too 
far. That some of the more bulky pieces, the pieces de resis- 
tance, should be placed on the sideboard, well and good, though 
even to this Addison objected, and not without reason ; but 
that the fish and the game should be both bestowed and dis- 
tributed, like rations to paupers, by attendants, who, for the 
most part, can not distinguish between the head and the tail of 
a mullet, the flesh and fin of a turbot, etc., is enough to disturb 
the digestion of the most tolerant gastronome. We must say 
that we like to see our dinner, especially the fish, and to see 
every part of it, in good hands." 

Then, again, without paying a high price, one can not secure 
a waiter who is a good carver. I am almost inclined to say one 
must possess the luxury of a French waiter for carving at the 
side -table. English waiters are good. The Irish are general- 
ly too awkward. Negroes are too slow. The French are both 
graceful and expeditious. 

Well, what can be done, then, when one has a dinner party, 
with no expert carver, and the dishes are too large for the host 
to attempt ? I would advise in this case that the dinner should 
be served from the side. A very great majority of large and 
even small dinners are served in this manner. 

The table, as usual, is decorated with flowers, fruits, etc., but 
the dishes (plats) are not placed upon it ; consequently the host 
has no more duty to perform in the serving of the dinner than 
the guest. A plate is placed on the table before each person, 
then the dish, prettily decorated or neatly carved, if necessary, 
is presented to the left side, so that each person may help him- 
self from the dish. When these plates are taken off, they are 
replaced by clean ones, and the dish of the next course is pre- 
sented in like manner. Many prefer to serve every course from 
the side, as I have just indicated ; others make an exception of 
the dessert, which the hostess may consider a pretty acquisition 
to the table, while the dish should not be an awkward one to 
serve. 



20 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Some proper person should be stationed in the kitchen or 
butler's pantry to carve and to see that the dishes are properly 
decorated. If the hostess should apprehend unsMllfulness in 
carving, the dinner might be composed of chops, ribs, birds, 
etc., vv^hich require no cutting. 

There are several hints about serving the table, which I will 
now specify separately, in order to give them the prominence 
they deserve. 

1st. The waiters should be expeditious without seeming to be 
in a hurry. A dragging dinner is most tiresome. In France, 
the dishes and plates seem to be changed almost by magic. An 
American senator told me that at a dinner at the Tuileries, at 
which he was present, twenty -five courses were served in an 
hour and a half. The whole entertainment, with the after- 
dinner coffee, etc., lasted three hours. Upon this occasion, a 
broken dish was never presented to the view of a guest. One 
waiter would present a dish, beautifully garnished or decorated ; 
and if the guest signified assent, a plate with some of the same 
kind of food was served him immediately from the broken dish 
at the side-table. 

Much complaint has been made by persons accustomed to 
dinners abroad of the tediousness of those given in Washing- 
ton and New York, lasting, as they often do, from three to five 
hours. It is an absolute affliction to be obliged to sit for so 
long a time at table. 

2d. Never overload a plate nor oversupply a table. It is a 
vulgar hospitality. At a small dinner, no one should hesitate 
to ask for more, if he desires it; it would only be considered 
a flattering tribute to the dish. 

At large companies, where there is necessarily a greater va- 
riety of dishes, the most voracious appetite must be satisfied 
with a little of each. Then, do not supply more than is abso- 
lutely needed ; it is a foolish and unfashionable waste. " Hos- 
pitality is not to be measured by the square inch and calculated 
by cubic feet of beef or mutton." 

At a fashionable dinner party, if there are twelve or fourteen 
guests, there should be twelve or fourteen birds, etc., served on 
the table — one for each person. If uninvited persons should 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 21 

call, the servant could mention at the door that madam has 
company at dinner. A sensible person would immediately un- 
derstand that the general machinery would be upset by making 
an appearance. At small or private dinners, it would be, of 
course, quite a different thing. 

The French understand better than the people of any other 
nation how to supply a table. " Their small family dinners are 
simply gems of perfection. There is plenty for every person, 
yet every morsel is eaten. The flowers or plants are fresh and 
odoriferous ; the linen is a marvel of whiteness ; the dishes are 
few, but perfect of their kind." 

When you invite a person to a family dinner, do not attempt 
too much. It is really more elegant to have the dinner appear 
as if it were an every -day affair than to impress the guest, by 
an ostentatious variety, that it is quite an especial event to ask 
a friend to dinner. Many Americans are deterred from enter- 
taining, because they think they can not have company without 
a vulgar abundance, which is, of course, as expensive and trou- 
blesome as it is coarse and unrefined. 

For reasonable and sensible people, there is no dinner more 
satisfactory than one consisting first of a soup, then a fish, gar- 
nished with boiled potatoes, followed by a roast, also garnish- 
ed with one vegetable ; perhaps an entree, always a salad, some 
cheese, and a dessert. This, well cooked and neatly and quietly 
served, is a stylish and good enough dinner for any one, and is 
within the power of a gentleman or lady of moderate means to 
give. "It is the exquisite quality of a dinner or a wine that 
pleases us, not the multiplicity of dishes or vintages." 

3d. Never attempt a new dish with company — one that you 
are not entirely sure of having cooked in the very best manner. 

4th. Care must be taken about selecting a company for a 
dinner party, for upon this depends the success of the enter- 
tainment. Always put the question to yourself, when making 
up a dinner party. Why do I ask him or her ? And unless the 
answer be satisfactory, leave him or her out. Invite them on 
some other occasion. If they are not sensible, social, unaffect- 
ed, and clever people, they will not only not contribute to the 
agreeability of the dinner, but will positively be a serious im- 



22 PBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

pediment to conversational inspiration and the general feeling 
of ease. Consequently, one may consider it a compliment to 
be invited to a dinner party. 

5th. Have the distribution of seats at table so managed, us- 
ing some tact in the arrangement, that there need be no con- 
fusion, when the guests enter the dining-room, about their be- 
ing seated. If the guest of honor be a lady, place her at the 
right of the host ; if a gentleman, at the right of the hostess. 

If the dinner company be so large that the hostess can not 
easily place her guests without confusion, have a little card on 
each plate bearing the name of the person who is to occupy 
the place. Plain cards are well enough ; but the French design 
(they are designed in this country also) beautiful cards for the 
purpose, illustrated with varieties of devices : some are rollick- 
ing cherubs with capricious antics, who present different tempt- 
ing viands ; autumn leaves and delicate flowers in chroiiio fomi 
pretty surroundings for the names on others ; yet the designs 
are so various on these and the bill-of-fare cards that each host- 
ess may seek to find new ones, while frequent dinner-goers may 
have interesting collections of these mementoes; which may 
serve to recall the occasions in after-years. 

6th. If the dinner is intended to be particularly fine, have 
bills of fare, one for each person, written on little sheets of 
paper smoothly cut in half, or on French bill-of-fare cards, 
which come for the purpose. If expense is no object, and you 
entertain enough to justify it, have cards for your own use es- 
pecially engraved. Have your crest, or perhaps a monogram, 
at the top of the card, and forms for different courses follow- 
ing, so headed that you have only to fill out the space with 
the special dishes for the occasion. I will give the example 
of a form. The forms are often seen on the dinner -cards; 
yet, perhaps, they are as often omitted, when the bills of fare 
are written, like those given at the end of the book. 

Bills of fare are generally written in French. It is a pity 
that our own rich language is inadequate to the duties of a 
fashionable bill of fare, especially when, perhaps, all the guests 
do not understand the Gallic tongue; and the bill of fare 
{menu) for their accommodation might as well be written in 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVING. 23 

Choctaw. I will arrange a table with French names of dishes 
for the aid of those preferring the French bills of fare. I would 
say that some tact might be displayed in choosing which lan- 
guage to employ. 



MENU. 
Diner da 15 Fevrier. 

Potages. 

Poissons. 

Hors - d'oeuvres. 

Releves. 

Entrees. 

Rotis. 

Entremets. 

Glaces. 

Dessert. 



If you are entertaining a ceremonious company, with tastes 
for the frivolities of the world, or, perhaps, foreign embassa- 
dors, use unhesitatingly the French bills of fare ; but practical 
uncles and substantial persons of learning and wit, who, per- 
haps, do not appreciate the merits of languages which they 
do not understand, might consider you demented to place one 
of these effusions before them. I would advise the English 
bills of fare on these occasions. 

7th. The attendants at table should make no noise. They 
should wear slippers or light boots. " Nothing so distinguishes 
the style of perfectly appointed houses from vulgar imitations 
as the quiet, self-possessed movements of the attendants." No 
word should be spoken among them during dinner, nor should 
they even seem to notice the conversation of the company at 
table. 

8th. The waiter should wear a dress -coat, white vest, black 
trousers, and white necktie ; the waiting-maid, a neat black al- 
paca or a clean calico dress, with a white apron. 

9th. Although I would advise these rules to be generally fol- 



24 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

lowed, yet it is as pleasant a change to see an individuality or 
a characteristic taste displayed in the setting of the table and 
the choice of dishes as in the appointments of our houses or 
in matters of toilet. At different seasons the table might be 
changed to wear a more appropriate garb. It may be solid, 
rich, and showy, or simple, light, and fresh. 

10th. Aim to have a variety or change in dishes. It is as 
necessary to the stomach and to the enjoyment of the table as 
is change of scene for the mind. Even large and expensive 
state dinners become very monotonous when one finds every- 
where the same choice of dishes. Mr. Walker, in his " Origi- 
nal," says : " To order dinner is a matter of invention and com- 
bination. It involves novelty, simplicity, and taste; whereas, 
in the generality of dinners, there is no character but that of 
routine, according to the season." 

11th. Although many fashionable dinners are of from three 
to four hours' duration, I think every minute over two hours is 
a " stately durance vile." After that time, one can have no ap- 
petite ; conversation must be forced. It is preferable to have 
the dinner a short one than a minute too long. If one rises 
from a fine dinner wearied and satiated, the memory of the 
whole occasion must be tinged with this last impression. 

12th. There is a variety of opinions as to who should be first 
served at table. Many of the haut monde insist that the host- 
ess should be first attended to. Once, when visiting a family 
with an elegant establishment, who, with cultivated tastes and 
years of traveling experience, prided themselves on their savoir 
faire, one of the members said, " Yes, if Queen Victoria were 
our guest, our sister, who presides at table, should always be 
served first." The custom originated in ancient times, when 
the hospitable fashion of poisoning was in vogue. Then the 
guests preferred to see the hostess partake of each dish before 
venturing themselves. Poisoning is not now the order of the 
day, beyond what is accomplished by rich pastry and plum- 
puddings. If there be but one attendant, the lady guest sit- 
ting at the right of the host or the oldest lady should be 
first served. There are certain natural instincts of propriety 
which fashion or custom can not regulate. As soon as the sec- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 25 

ond person is helped, there should be no further waiting before 
eating. 

13th. Have chairs of equal height at table. Perhaps every 
one may know by experience the trial to his good humor in 
finding himself perched above or sunk below the general level. 

14th. The selection of china for the table offers an elegant 
field in which to display one's taste. The most economical 
choice for durability is this : put your extra money in a hand- 
some dessert set, all (except the plates) of which are displayed 
on the table all the time during dinner ; then select the remain- 
der of the service in plain white, or white and gilt, china. When 
any dish is broken, it can be easily matched and replaced. 

A set of china decorated in color to match the color of the 
dining-room is exceedingly tasteful. This choice is not an 
economical one, as it is necessary to replace broken pieces by 
having new ones manufactured — an expense quite equal to 
the extra trouble required to imitate a dish made in another 
country. 

By far the most elegant arrangement consists in having dif- 
ferent sets of plates, each set of a different pattern, for every 
course. Here is an unlimited field for exquisite taste. Let the 
meat and vegetable dishes be of plated silver. Let the epergne 
or centre-piece (holding flowers or fruit) be of silver, or perhaps 
it might be preferred of majolica, of bisque, or of glass. The 
majolica ware is very fashionable now, and dessert, oyster, and 
salad sets of it are exceedingly pretty. A set of majolica plates, 
imitating pink shells, with a large pink -shell platter, is very 
pretty, and appropriate for almost any course. Oyster-plates 
in French ware imitate five oyster-shells, with a miniature cup 
in the centre for holding the lemon. There are other patterns 
of oyster-plates in majolica of the most gorgeous colors, where 
each rim is concaved in six shells to hold as many oysters. 
The harlequin dessert sets are interesting, where every plate 
is not only different in design and color, but is a specimen of 
different kinds of ware as well. In these sets the Dresden, 
French, and painted plates of any ware that suits the fancy are 
combined. 

A set of plates for a course at dinner is unique in the Chinese 



26 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

or Japanese patterns. Dessert sets of Bohemian glass or of cut- 
glass are a novelty ; however, the painted sets seem more ap- 
propri*te for the dessert (fruits, etc.), while glass sets are taste- 
ful for jellies, cold puddings, etc., or what are called the cold 
entremets served just before the dessert proper. 

But it seems diflScult, in entering the Colamores' and other 
large places of the kind in New York, to know what to select, 
there are such myriads of exquisite plates, table ornaments, and 
fairy-lands of glass. 

I consider the table ornaments in silver much less attractive 
than those in fancy ware. There are lovely maidens in bisque, 
reclining, while they hold painted oval dishes for a jelly, a Ba- 
varian cream, or for flowers or fruit ; cherub boys in majolica, 
tugging away with wheelbarrows, which should be loaded with 
flowers; antique water -jugs; cheese - plates in Venetian glass; 
clusters of lilies from mirror bases to hold flowers or bonbons ; 
tripods of dolphins, with great pink mouths, to hold salt and 
pepper. 

If a lady, with tastes to cultivate in her family, can afford el- 
egancies in dress, let her retrench in that, and bid farewell to 
all her ugly and insipid white china ; let wedding presents con- 
sist more of these ornaments (which may serve to decorate any 
room), and less of silver salt-cellars, pepper-stands, and pickle- 
forks. 

Senator Sumner was a lover of the ceramic art. His table 
presented a delightful study to the connoisseur, with its dif- 
ferent courses of plates, all different and recherche in design. 
Nothing aroused this inimitable host at a dinner party from his 
literary labors more effectually than a special announcement to 
him by Marley of the arrival from Europe of a new set of quaint 
and elegant specimens of China ware. He would repair to New 
York on the next train. 

15th. I will close these suggestions by copying from an En- 
glish book a practical drill exercise for serving at table. The 
dishes are served from the side-table. 

" Let us suppose a table laid for eight persons, dressed in its 
best ; as attendants, only two persons — a butler and a footman, 
or one of these, with a page or neat waiting-maid ; and let us 



PEACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 27 

suppose some one stationed outside the door in the butler's 
pantry to do nothing but fetch up, or hand, or carry off dishes, 
one by one : ♦• 

While guests are being seated, person from outside brings up soup ; 

Footman receives soup at door ; 

Butler serves it out ; 

Footman hands it ; 

Both change plates. 

Footman takes out soup, and receives fish at door ; while butler hands wine ; 

Butler serves out fish ; 

Footman hands it (plate in one hand, and sauce in the other) ; 

Both change plates. 

Footman brings in entree, while butler hands wine ; 

Butler hands entree; 

Footman hands vegetables ; 

Both change plates. 

Etc., etc. 

" The carving of the joint seems the only diflSculty. How- 
ever, it will not take long for an expert carver to cut eight 
pieces." 



THE DINNER PARTY. 

It is very essential, in giving a dinner party, to know precise- 
ly how many guests one is to entertain. It is a serious incon- 
venience to have any doubt on this subject. Consequently, it 
is well to send an invitation, which may be in the following 
form: 



Mrs. Smith requests the pleasure of Mr. Jones's 
company at dinner, on Thursday, January hth, at 
seven o'clock. _ ~ 

12 New York Avenue, January 2rf, 1875. 



The capital letters constitute the initials of four French 
words, meaning, "Answer, if you please" {Repondez sHl vous 
plait). The person thus invited must not fail to reply at once. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



sending a messenger to the door with the note. It is consid- 
ered impolite to send it by post. 

If the person invited has any doubt about being able to at- 
tend the dinner at the time stated, he should decline the invita- 
tion at once. He should be positive one way or the other, not 
delaying the question for consideration more than a day at the 
utmost. If Mr. Jones should then decline, he might reply as 
follows : 



Mr. Jones regrets that he is unable to accept 
Mrs. Smithes polite invitation for Thursday even- 
ing. 

8 Thirty-ttvtnth Street, January Zd. 



Or, 



Mr. Jones regrets that a previous engagement 
prevents his acceptance of Mrs. Smiths polite in- 
vitation for Thursday evening. 

Thirty-teventh Street, January Zd. 



A prompt and decided answer of this character enables Mrs. 
Smith to supply the place with some other person, thereby pre- 
venting that most disagreeable thing, a vacant chair at table. 

If the invitation be accepted, Mr. Jones might say in his 
note: 



Mr. Jones accepts, with pleasure, Mrs. Smith's 
invitation for Thursday 

Thirty-seventh, Street, January '. 



The more simple the invitation or reply, the better. Do not 
attempt any high-flown or original modes. Originality is most 
charming on most occasions ; this is not one of them. 

In New York, many, I notice, seem to think it elegant to 
use the French construction of sentences in formal notes : for 
instance, they are particular to say, "the invitation of Mrs. 
Smith," instead of " Mrs. Smith's invitation ;" and " 2d Janu- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 29 

ary," instead of " January 2d." In writing in the French lan- 
guage, the French construction of sentences would seem emi- 
nently proper. One might be pardoned for laughing at an En- 
glish construction, if ignorance were not the cause. So, when 
one writes in English, let the sentences be concise, and accord- 
ing to the rules of the language. 

On the appointed day, the guest should endeavor to arrive at 
the house not exceeding ten minutes before the time fixed for 
dinner ; and while he avoids a too early arrival, he should be 
equally careful about being tardy. 

It is enough to disturb the serenity and good temper of the 
most amiable hostess during the whole evening for a guest to 
delay her dinner, impairing it, of course, to a great extent. She 
should not be expected to wait over fifteen minutes for any one. 
Perhaps it would be as well for her to order dinner ten minutes 
after the appointed hour in her invitation, to meet the possible 
contingency of delay on the part of some guest. ,, 

When the guests are assembled in the drawing-room, if the 
company be large, the host or hostess can quietly intimate to 
the gentlemen what ladies they will respectively accompany to 
the dining-room. After a few moments of conversation and 
introductions, the dinner is to be announced, when the host 
should offer his arm to the lady guest of honor, the hostess 
taking the arm of the gentleman guest of honor ; and now, the 
host leading the way, all should follow ; the hostess, with her 
escort, being the last to leave the drawing-room. They should 
find their places at table with as little confusion as possible, not 
sitting down until the hostess is seated. After dinner is over, 
the hostess giving the signal by moving back her chair, all 
should leave the dining-room. The host may then invite the 
gentlemen to the smoking-room or library. The ladies should 
repair to the drawing-room. A short time thereafter (perhaps 
in half an hour), the butler should bring to the drawing-room 
the tea-service on a salver, with a cake-basket filled with fancy 
biscuits, or rather crackers or little cakes. 

Placing them on the table, he may then announce to the host 
that tea is served. The gentlemen join the ladies ; and, after 
a chat of a few minutes over the tea, all of the guests may take 



30 PH ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

their departure. If the attendant is a waiting - maid, and the 
tea-service rather heavy, she might bring two or three cups fill- 
ed with tea, and a small sugar-bowl and cream-pitcher, also the 
cake -basket, on a small salver; and when the cups are passed, 
return for more. 

I do not like the English fashion, which requires the ladies 
to retire from the table, leaving the gentlemen to drink more 
wine, and smoke. Enough wjne is drunk during dinner. En- 
glish customs are admirable, generally, and one naturally in- 
clines to adopt them ; but in this instance I do not hesitate to 
condemn and reject a custom in which I see no good, but, on 
the contrary, a temptation to positive evil. The French reject 
it ; let Americans do the same. 



COOKING AS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT. 

The reason why cooking in America is, as a rule, so inferior 
is not because American women are less able and apt than the 
women of France, and not because the American men do not 
discuss and appreciate the merits of good cooking and the 
pleasure of entertaining friends at their own table ; it is mere- 
ly because American women seem possessed with the idea that 
it is not the fashion to know how to cook ; that, as an accom- 
plishment, the art of cooking is not as ornamental as that of 
needle-work or piano-playing. I do not undervalue these last 
accomplishments. A young lady of esprit should understand 
them ; but she should understand, also, the accomplishment of 
cooking. A young lady can scarcely have too many accom- 
plishments, for they serve to adorn her home, and are attract- 
ive and charming, generally. But of them all — painting, music, 
fancy work, or foreign language — is there one more fascinating 
and useful, or one which argues more intelligence in its acquisi- 
tion, than the accomplishment of cooking ? 

"What would more delight Adolphus than to discover that 
his pretty fiancee, Julia, was an accomplished cook ; that with 
her dainty fingers she could gracefully dash off a creamy ome- 
let, and by miraculous manoeuvres could produce to his aston- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



islied view a dozen different kaleidoscopic omelets, aux fines 
herbes, aux huitres, aux petits pois, aux tomates, etc. ; and not 
only that, but scientific croquettes, mysterious soups, delicious 
salads, marvelous sauces, and the hundred and one savory re- 
sults of a little artistic skill ? Delighted Adolphus— if a sensi- 
ble man, and such a woman should have no other than a sensi- 
ble man— would consider this as the chef-d'oeuvre of all her ac- 
complishments, as he regarded her the charming assurance of 
so many future comforts. 

From innate coquetry alone the French women appreciate 
the powers of their dainty table. Cooking is an art they culti- 
vate. Any of the haut monde are proud to originate a new 
dish, many famous ones doing them credit in bearing their 
names. 

One thing is quite evident in America — that the want of this 
ornamental and useful information is most deplorable. The 
inefficiency, in this respect, of Western and Southern women, 
brought up under the system of slavery, is somewhat greater 
than that of the women of the Northern and Eastern States ; 
however, as a nation, there is little to praise in this regard in 
any locality. Professor Blot endeavored to come to the rescue. 
Every man applauded his enterprise ; yet I can myself testify 
to the indifference of the women — his classes for the study of 
cookery numbering by units where they should have number- 
ed by hundreds. He soon discontinued his instructive endeav- 
ors, and at last died a poor man. 

There is little difficulty abroad in obtaining good cooks at 
reasonable prices, who have pursued regular courses of instruc- 
tion in their trade : not so in America. Hospitality demands 
the entertaining of friends at the social board ; yet it is almost 
impossible to do so in this country in an acceptable manner, 
unless the hostess herself not only has a proper idea of the 
serving of a table, but of the art of cooking the dishes them- 
selves as well. In some of the larger cities, satisfactory dinners 
and trained waiters may be provided at an enormous cost at 
the famous restaurants, where the meal may appear home-like 
and elegant. But unfortunate is the woman, generally, who 
wants to do " the correct thing," and, wishing to entertain at 



32 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEH GIVING . 

dinner, relies upon the sense, good taste, and management of 
the proprietor of a restaurant. She may confidently rely upon 
one thing — an enormous bill; and, generally, as well, upon a 
vulgar display, which poorly imitates the manner of refined pri- 
vate establishments. 

However, " living for the world " seems very contemptible in 
comparison with the importance of that wholesome, satisfacto- 
ry, every -day living which so vitally concerns the health and 
pleasure of the family circle. 

But why waste time in asserting these self-evident facts? 
They are acknowledged and proclaimed every day by suffering 
humanity ; yet the difficulty is not remedied. Is there a rem- 
edy, then ? Yes. This is a free country, yet Dame Fashion is 
the Queen. Make it the fashion, then, that the art and science 
of cookery shall be classed among the necessary accomplish- 
ments of every well-educated lady. This is a manifest duty on 
the part of ladies of influence and position, even if the object 
be only for the benefit of the country at large. Let these ladies 
be accomplished artists in cookery. The rest will soon follow. 
There will be plenty of imitators. 

Many ladies of rank in England have written valuable books 
on cookery, and on the effects resulting from the want of the 
knowledge. None wrote better than Lady Morgan. Speaking 
of clubs, she says : 

" The social want of the times, however, brought its remedy 
along with it, and the reaction was astounding. . . . Then it 
was that clubs arose — homes of refuge to destitute celibacy, 
chapels of ease to discontented husbands. There, men could 
dine, like gentlemen and Christians, upon all the friandises of 
the French kitchen, much cheaper and far more wholesomely 
than at their own tables upon the tough, half -sodden fibres of 
the national roast and boiled, or on the hazardous resources of 
hash, gravy soup, and marrow puddings. 

" Moral England gave in. The English ' home'— that temple 
of the heart, that centre of all the virtues — was left to the soli- 
tary enjoyment of the English wives. 

" To your casseroles, then, women of Britain ! Would you, 
with a falconer's voice, lure your faithless tassels back again ? 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 33 

Apply to the practical remedy of your wrongs ; proceed to the 
reform of your domestic government, and turn your thoughts 
to that art which, coming into action every day in the year 
during the longest life, includes within its circles the whole 
philosophy of economy and order, the preservation of good 
health, and the tone of good society — and all peculiarly within 
your province." 



BREAKFAST. 

After a fast of twelve or thirteen hours, the system requires 
something substantial as preparation for the labors of the day ; 
consequently, I consider the American breakfasts more desira- 
ble for an active people than those of France or England. 

In France, the first breakfast consists merely of a cup of cof- 
fee and a roll. A second breakfast, at eleven o'clock, is more 
substantial, dishes being served which may be eaten with a 
fork [dejeuner a la fourchette), as a chop with a potato souffle. 
No wonder there are cafes in Paris where American breakfasts 
are advertised, for it takes one of our nationality a very short 
time to become dissatisfied with this meagre first meal. 

In England, breakfast is a very informal meal. After some 
fatiguing occasion, if one should desire the luxury of an extra 
nap, he is not mercilessly expected at the table simply because 
it is the breakfast -hour; for there the breakfast -hour is any 
time one chances to be ready for it. Gentlemen and ladies 
read their papers and letters in the breakfast-room — a practice 
which, of course, is more agreeable for guests than convenient 
for servants. However, if one can afford it, why not ? This 
habit requires a little different setting of the table. It is dec- 
orated with flowers or plants, and upon it are placed several 
kinds of breads, fruits, melons, potted meats, and freshest of 
boiled eggs. But the substantial dishes must be served from 
the sideboard, where they are kept in silver chafing-dishes over 
spirit-lamps. As members of the family or guests enter, the 
servant helps them each once, then leaves the room. If they 
have further wants, they help themselves or ring a bell. 

2* 



34 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

The American breakfast is all placed upon the table, unless 
oatmeal porridge should be served as a first course. Changes 
of plates are also necessary when cakes requiring sirup or when 
melons or fruits are served. 

Let us now set the American breakfast-table. 

The coffee -urn and silver service necessary are placed in a 
straight line before the hostess. The one or two kinds of sub- 
stantials are set before the host ; vegetables or entrees are placed 
on the sides. Do not have them askew. It is quite as easy for 
an attendant to place a dish in a straight line as in an oblique 
angle with every other dish on the table. 

I advocate the general use of oatmeal porridge for breakfast. 
Nothing is more wholesome, and nothing more relished after a 
little use. If not natural, the taste should be acquired. It is 
invaluable for children, and of no less benefit for persons of 
mature years. Nearly all the little Scotch and Irish children 
are brought up on it. When Queen Victoria first visited Scot- 
land, she noticed the particularly ruddy and healthy appearance 
of the children, and, after inquiry about their diet and habits, 
became at once a great advocate for the use of porridge. She 
used it for her own children, and it was at once introduced 
very generally into England. Another of its advantages is 
that serving it as a first course enables the cook to prepare 
many dishes, such as steaks, omelets, etc., just as the family sit 
down to breakfast ; and when the porridge is eaten, she is ready 
with the other dishes " smoking hot." 

It would be well if more attention were given to breakfasts 
than is usually bestowed. The table might have a fresher look 
with flowers or a flowering plant in the centre. The breakfast 
napery is very pretty now, with colored borders to suit the col- 
or of the room, the table-cloth and napkins matching. 

The beefsteaks should be varied, for instance, one morning 
with a tomato sauce, another a la maitre d^ hotel, or with a 
brown sauce, or garnished with water-cresses, green pease, fried 
potatoes, potato -balls, etc., instead of being always the same 
beefsteak, too frequently overcooked or undercooked, and often 
floating in butter. 

Melons, oranges, compotes, any and all kinds of fruits, should 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 35 

be served at breakfast. In tbe season, sliced tomatoes, with a 
French or Mayonnaise dressing, is a most refreshing breakfast 
dish. A great resource is in the variety of omelets, and with a 
little practice, nothing is so easily made. One morning it may 
be a plain omelet ; another, with macaroni and cheese ; another, 
with fine herbs ; another, with little strips of ham or with oys- 
ters. The English receipt on page 148 makes a pleasant change 
for a veal cutlet. When chickens are no longer very young, 
the receipt on page l75 (deviled chicken), with a Cunard sauce 
or a white sauce, is another change. The different arrange- 
ments of meat-balls and croquettes, with tomato, cream, apple, 
or brown sauces, are delicious when they are freshly and care- 
fully made. 

As there are hundreds of delicious breakfast dishes, which 
only require a little attention and interest to understand, how 
unfortunate it must be for a man to have a wife who has noth- 
ing for breakfast but an alternation of juiceless beefsteak, greasy 
and ragged mutton-chops, and swimming hash, with unwhole- 
some hot breads to make up deficiencies ! 

Breakfast parties are very fashionable, being less expensive 
than dinners, and just as satisfactory to guests. They are 
served generally about ten o'clock, although any time from ten 
to twelve o'clock may be chosen for the purpose. It seems to 
me that ten o'clock, or even nine o'clock (it depends upon the 
persons invited), is the preferable hour. Guests might prefer 
to retain their strength by a repast at home if the breakfast- 
hour were at twelve o'clock, and then the fine breakfast would 
be less appreciated. At breakfast parties, with the exception of 
the silver service being on the table all the time for tea and 
coffee, the dishes are served in courses precisely as for dinner. 

In England, breakfast parties are perhaps more in favor than 
lunch parties, especially among the literati. Macaulay said, 
when extolling the merits of breakfast parties as compared 
with all other entertainments, "Dinner parties are mere for- 
malities ; but you invite a man to breakfast because you want 
to see ^m." 

Three bills of fare are given for breakfast parties, which will 
show the order of different courses : 



36 PEACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Winter Breakfast. 

1st Course. — Broiled sardines on toast, garnished with slices of lemon. 

Tea, coffee, or chocolate. 
2d Course. — Larded sweet - breads, garnished with French pease. Cold 

French rolls or petits pains. Sauterne. 
3d Course. — Small fillets or the tender cuts from porter-house-steaks, served 

on little square slices of toast, with mushrooms. 
4th Course. — Fried oysters ; breakfast puffs. 
5th Course. — Fillets of grouse (each fillet cut in two), on little thin slices 

of fried mush, garnished with potatoes h la Parisienne. 
6th Course. — Sliced oranges, with sugar. 
1th Course. — Waffles, with maple sirup. 

Early Spring Breakfast. 

1st Course. — An Havana orange for each person, dressed on a fork (page 

338). 
2d Course. — Boiled shad, maitre d'hotel sauce ; Saratoga potatoes. Tea or 

coffee. 
3d Course. — Lamb-chops, tomato sauce. Chateau Yquem. 
4th Course. — Omelet, with green pease, or garnished with parsley and thin 

diamonds of ham, or with shrimps, etc., etc. 
5th Course. — Fillets of beef, garnished with water-cresses and litile round 

radishes ; muffins. 
6th Course. — Rice pancakes, with maple sirup. 

Summer Breakfast. 

1st Course. — Melons. 

2d Course. — Little fried perch, smelts, or trout, with a sauce Tartare, the 
dish garnished with shrimps and ohves. Coffee, tea, or chocolate. 

3d Course. — Young chickens, sauted, with cream -gravy, surrounded with 
potatoes a la neige. Claret. 

4th Course. — Poached eggs on anchovy-toast. 

5th Course. — Little fillets of porter-house-steaks, with tomatoes k la May- 
onnaise. 

6th Course. — Peaches, quartered, sweetened, and half-frozen. 



LUNCH. 



This is more especially a ladies' meal. If one gives a lunch 
party, ladies alone are generally invited. It is an informal meal 
on ordinary occasions, when every thing is placed upon the ta- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



ble at once. A servant remains in the room only long enough 
to serve the first round of dishes, then leaves, supposing that 
confidential conversation may be desired. Familiar friends oft- 
en "happen in" to lunch, and are always to be expected. 

Some fashionable ladies have the reputation of having very 
fine lunches — chops, chickens, oysters, salads, chocolate, and 
many other good things being provided; and others, just as 
fashionable, have nothing but a cup of tea or chocolate, some 
thin slices of bread and butter, and cold meat ; or, if of Teu- 
tonic taste, nothing but cheese, crackers, and ale, thus reserv- 
ing the appetite for dinner. 

In entertaining at lunch, the dishes are served in the same 
manner as for dinner. Each dish is served as a separate course. 
It may be placed on the table before the hostess, if the lunch 
party is not very large ; but it is generally served from the side. 
The table is also decorated in the same manner as for dinner, 
with a centre-piece of flowers or of fruit, and with various com- 
potiers around the centre, containing fruits, bonbons, little fancy 
cakes, Indian or other preserves, etc. Other ornaments, in Dres- 
den china, majolica ware, Venetian or French glass, etc., filled 
with flowers, are often seen. Little dishes of common glass in 
different shapes, as crosses, quarter-moons, etc., about an inch 
high (see cuts, page 58), are also filled with flowers, and placed 
at symmetrical distances. As the last - mentioned decorations 
are very cheap, every one may indulge in them, and consider 
that there are no more beautiful ornaments, after all. 

The lunch -table is generally covered with a colored table- 
cloth. 

The principal dishes served are pates, croquettes, shell -fish, 
game, salads— in fact, all kinds of entrees and cold desserts, or 
I may say dishes are preferred which do not require carving. 
Bouillon is generally served as a first course in bouillon cups, 
which are quite like large coffee-cups, or coffee or tea cups 
may be used, although any dinner soup served in soup-plates is 
en regie. A cup of chocolate, with whipped cream on the top, 
is often served as another course. 

I will give five bills of fare, reserved from five very nice 
little lunch parties : 



38 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Mrs. Collier's Lunch (February 2d). 

Bouillon; sherry. 
Roast oysters on half -shell ; Sauterne. 
Little vols-au-vent of oysters. 
Thin scollops, or cuts of fillet of beef, braised ; French pease ; Cham- 
pagne. 
Chicken croquettes, garnished with fried parsley ; potato croquettes. 
Cups of chocolate, with whipped cream. 
Salad — lettuce dressed with tarragon. 
Biscuits glaces ; fruit-ices. 
Fruit. 
Bonbons. 



Mrs. Sprague^s Lunch (March 10th). 

Raw oysters on half-shell. 

Bouillon ; sherry. 

Little vols-au-vent of sweet-breads. 

Lamb-chops ; tomato sauce ; Champagne. 

Chicken croquettes ; French pease. 

Snipe ; potatoes a la Parisienne. 

Salad of lettuce. 

Neuchatel cheese ; milk wafers, toasted. 

Chocolate Bavarian cream, molded in little cups, with a spoonful of peach 

marmalade on each plate. 

Vanilla ice-cream ; fancy cakes. 

Fruit. 



Mrs. Miller^s Lunch (January 6th). 

Bouillon. 

Deviled crabs ; olives ; claret punch. 

Sweet-breads k la Milanaise. 

Fillets of grouse, currant jelly ; Saratoga potatoes. 

Roman punch. 

Fried oysters, garnished with chow-chow. 

Chicken salad, or, rather. Mayonnaise of chicken. 

Ramikins. 

Wine jelly, and whipped cream. 

Napolitaine ice-cream. 

Fruit. 

Bonbons. 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 39 



Mrs. Wells's Lunch. 

Bouillon; sherry. 

Fried frogs' legs ; French pease. 

Smelts, sauce Tartare ; potatoes k la Parisienne. 

Chicken in scallop-shells ; Champagne. 

Sweet-bread croquettes ; tomato sauce. 

Fried cream. 

Salad; Romaine. 

Welsh rare-bit. 

Peaches and cream, frozen ; fancy cakes. 

Fruits. 



Mrs. Filley's Lunch. 

Mock-turtle soup ; English milk-punch. 
Lobster-chops ; claret. 
Mushrooms in crust. 
Lamb-chops, en papillote. 
Chetney of slices of baked fillet of beef. 
Chocolate, with whipped cream. 
Spinach on tongue sUces (page 145J, sauce Tartare. 
Roast quail, bread sauce (page 185). 
Cheese ; lettuce, garnished with slices of radishes and nasturtium blos- 
soms, French dressing. 
Mince-meat patties ; Champagne. 
Ices and fancy cakes. 
Fruit. 



GENTLEMEN'S SUPPERS. 

As ladies have exclusive lunches, gentlemen have exclusive 
suppers. Nearly the same dishes are served for suppers as for 
lunches, although gentlemen generally prefer more game and 
wine. Sometimes they like fish* suppers, with two or three or 
more varieties of fish, when nightmare might be written at the 
end of the bill of fare. 

If one has not a reliable cook, it is very convenient to give 
these entertainments, as the hostess has a chance to station her- 
self in the cuisine^ and personally superintend the supper. 



40 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

One bill of fare is given for a fish supper : 

1st Course. — Raw oysters served in a block of ice (page 113). [The ice 

has a pretty effect in the gas-hght.] 
2d Course. — Shad, maitre d'hotel sauce, garnished with smelts. 
3d Course. — Sweet-breads and tomato sauce. 
4th Course. — Boiled sardines, on toast. 
5th Course. — Deviled chicken, Cunard sauce. 
6th Course. — Fillets of duck, with salad of lettuce. 
Vth Course. — Mayonnaise of salmon, garnished with shrimps. 
8th Course. — Welsh rare-bit. 
9th Course. — Charlotte Russe. 
10th Course. — Ice-cream and cake. 



EVENING PARTIES. 

If people can afford to give large evening parties, it is less 
trouble and more satisfactory to place the supper in the hands 
of the confectioner. 

For card parties or small companies of thirty or forty per- 
sons, to meet some particular stranger, or for literary reunions, 
the trouble need not be great. People would entertain more if 
the trouble were less. 

If one has a regular reception-evening, ices, cake, and choco- 
late are quite enough; or for chocolate might be substituted 
sherry or a bowl of punch. 

For especial occasions for a company of thirty or forty, a 
table prettily set with some flowers, fruit, chicken salad, cro- 
quettes or sweet-breads and pease, one or two or more kinds 
of ice-cream and cakes, is quite sufficient. Either coffee and 
tea. Champagne, a bowl of punch or of eggnog, would be suf- 
ficient in the way of beverage. 



SOMETHING ABOUT ECONOMY. 

I AM indebted to a French girl living in our family for the 
substance of this chapter. Her parents being obliged to live in 
a most economical way in St. Louis, still had an uncommonly 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 41 



good table. One resource was a little garden, in which small 
compass were raised enough onions, tomatoes, carrots, and a few 
other vegetables, to nearly supply the family. A small bed of 
four feet square, surrounded by a pretty border of lettuce, was 
large enough for raising all necessary herbs, such as sage, sum- 
mer savory, thyme, etc. Little boxes in the kitchen windows 
contained growing parsley, ever ready for use. 

I give receipts for three of their soups — the onion, vegetable 
puree, and potato soups being most excellent, and costing not 
over from five to ten cents each. One of their dinner dishes 
was a heart (10 cents) stuffed, baked two or three hours, and 
served with a brown gravy and an onion garnish (see re- 
ceipt). Still another was a two-pound round-steak (20 cents), 
spread with a bread and sage stuffing, then rolled, tied, flour- 
ed, seasoned on top, then baked, basting it often. It was a 
pretty dish, with tomato sauce around it. Sometimes a cheap 
fish was cut in slices, egged and bread-crumbed, fried, and gar- 
nished with fried potatoes. They had always a salad for din- 
ner, prepared from their border of lettuce, some cold potatoes, 
cold beans, or other vegetable. A fine breakfast dish was of 
kidneys (5 cents). Few Americans know how to cook kidneys, 
and butchers often throw them away ; yet in France they are 
considered a great delicacy. 

Their repertoire of cheap dishes was large ; so there was al- 
ways a change for, at least, each day of the week. A crumb of 
bread was never wasted. All odd morsels were dried in the 
oven, pounded, and put away in a tin-box, ready for breading 
cutlets cut from any pieces of mutton or veal, and for many 
other purposes. 

^ Any pieces of suet or drippings were clarified and put one 
side, to be used for frying. Remains of cooked vegetables of 
any kind were saved for soups and sauces. Not a slice of a 
tomato nor leaf of a cabbage was thrown away. 

If they had butter that was not entirely sweet, they added 
more salt, a little soda, brought it to a boil on the stove, and 
then put it away in a little crock. By allowing the settlings 
to remain at the bottom, the butter became entirely sweet, and 
not too salt for cooking purposes. 



42 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Chickens, cutlets, etc., were larded at this table. Now, just 
to mention the word "larding" is to overwhelm a common 
cook ; and to require it, is to rivet in the minds of most house- 
wives the entire impracticability of a whole receipt in which it 
is an item. Pieces of salt pork or breakfast bacon should al- 
ways be kept in the house. A pound of it, which is not ex- 
pensive, may last a long time, as it requires very little for fla- 
voring many things; then, if one has any idea of sewing, or 
what it is to push a needle through any thing, one can lard. It 
only requires a larding - needle, which costs fifteen cents, and 
which should last a century. By placing little cut strips of 
pork in the end of the needle, as is explained among " direc- 
tions," then drawing the needle through parts of the meat, leav- 
ing the pork midway, this wonderfully difficult operation is ac- 
complished. It is only a few minutes' pastime to lard turkeys, 
chickens, birds, cutlets, sweet-breads, etc., which gives to them 
flavor and style. 

Limited in fortune as were this family, they were never with- 
out stock at hand. Their meat for croquettes, patties, etc., had 
served a duty to the soup-kettle. If a chicken was to be boiled 
for the table, it was thrown into the stock-pot while the soup 
was simmering, and thus it and the chicken were both benefited. 

Their meat dishes were often garnished with little potato- 
balls, cooked a la Parisienne, or simply boiled. This seemed 
extravagant ; but as a French vegetable-cutter only costs twen- 
ty-five cents, and the balls can be cut very rapidly — all the par- 
ings boiled and mashed serving another time as potato-cakes — 
there was nothing wasted, and little time lost. 

In short, this household (and it is a sample of nearly all 
French families of limited means) lived well on little more than 
many an American family would throw away. 

Let me give five bills of fare of their dinners, the second of 
which is partly prepared from the remains of the first day : 

Beef soup (soup bone), 10 cents. 
Veal blanquette and boiled potatoes (knuckle of veal), 15 cents. 
Salad of sliced tomatoes, 2 or 3 cents. 
Boiled rice, with a border of stewed small pears (green, or of common va- 
riety), 10 cents. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 43 

Onion or bean soup, 5 cents. 

Fish (en matelote), 15 cents. 

Croquettes (made of the remains of the cold beef -soup meat, and rice), 

with a tomato sauce. 

Salad of cold boiled potatoes. 

Fried bread-pudding. 



Potato soup. 

Round steak, rolled (page 140), with baked, parboiled onions, 25 cents. 

Salad of lettuce. 

Apple-fritters, with sirup. 



Tomato soup. 

Beef a la mode, with spinach, 40 cents (enough for two dinners). 

Saiad of potatoes and parsley. 

Rice-pudding. 



Noodle soup. 

Mutton ragout, with potatoes, 25 cents. 

Noodles and stuffed tomatoes. 

Cheese omelet. 



DIRECTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. 
Boiling. 

Fowls or joints should be tied or well skewered into shape 
before boiling. 

Every thing should be gently simmered, rather than fast 
boiled, in order to be tender. The water should never be al- 
lowed to stop simmering before the article is quite done. A 
pudding is thus entirely ruined. 

The kettle should be kept covered, merely raising the cover 
at times to remove the scum. Boiled fowl, with a white sauce, 
is a favorite English dish, and very nice it is if properly pre- 
pared. 

Frying. 

Frying means cooking by immersion in hot fat, butter, or 
oil. There is no English word for what is called frying in a 



44 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

spoonful of fat, first on one side, and then on the other. Saute 
is the French word, and should be Anglicized. Ordinary cooks, 
instead of frying, invariably saute every thing. A^lmost every 
article that is usually sauted is much better and more econom- 
ical fried ; as, for instance, oysters, fish, birds, cutlets, crabs, 
etc. 

The fat should always be tested before the article is im- 
mersed. A little piece of bread may be thrown in, and if it 
colors quickly, the fat is ready, and not before. The tempera- 
ture of hot grease, it will be remembered, is much greater than 
that of boiling water, which can not exceed a certain degree of 
heat, whether it boil slow or fast. Hot grease reaches a very 
high degree of heat, and consequently the surface of any thing 
is almost instantaneously hardened or crisped when thrown into 
it. The inside is thus kept free from grease, and is quickly 
cooked. An article first dipped in egg and bread - crumbs 
should be entirely free from grease when thus cooked, as the 
egg is hardened the instant it touches the hot grease, and the 
oyster, croquette, cutlet, or sweet -bread is perfectly protected. 
The same fat can be used repeatedly for frying the same thing. 
The fat in which fish is fried should not be again used for any 
thing except fish. Professional cooks have several frying-ket- 
tles, in which fat is kept for frying different things. A little 
kettle for frying potatoes exclusively should always be at hand. 

One will see that this style of cooking is economical, as there 
is very little waste of fat ; and then fried articles need no other 
dressing. 

After frying fish, meat, or vegetables, let the fat stand about 
five minutes ; strain, and then return it to the kettle, which 
should always be kept covered, after it is once cold. 

Beef suet, salted, is quite as good for frying as lard, and is 
much cheaper. It is well to purchase it by the pound, and have 
it rendered in the kitchen. 

To Prepare Grease for Frying (Professor Blot). 

Take beef suet, the part around the kidneys, or any kind of 
fat, raw or cooked, and free of fibres, nerves, thin skin, or 
bones ; chop it fine ; add to it whatever you may have of fat 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 45 



skimmed off the top of meat soup; put it in a cast-iron or 
crockery kettle ; set it on a moderate fire ; boil gently for fif- 
teen minutes ; skim it well during the process ; take from the 
fire, leave it five minutes, and then strain it ; after which, put it 
in pots, and keep them in a dry and cool place ; cover the pots 
well every time you have occasion to use, but never cover them 
while the grease is warm. This grease is as good, if not better 
than any other to fry fish, fritters, and other similar things, 
which require to be entirely covered with grease.* 

Broiling. 

I did not appreciate the nicety of broiling until, upon an 
occasion, a gentleman invited a dinner company to a private 
dining-room of one of our large restaurants, to eat a certain 
kind of fish, which he considered especially fine. The host was 
quite out of humor to see the fish come to the table baked, 
when he had ordered it broiled. The proprietor afterward ex- 
plained that, for some reason, his French cook was absent for 
that day, and he had no other who could broil so large a fish. 
I at once realized that, after all, it must be a delicate and diffi- 
cult thing to broil a large fish, so that the centre would be well 
done, and the surface not burned. The smaller and thinner the 
article, the hotter should be the fire ; the larger the article, the 
more temperate the fire, or, rather, the greater distance it should 
at first be placed from it. The fish, in this case, should have 
been wrapped in oiled or buttered paper. It should have been 
placed rather near the fire for the first few moments ; then re- 
moved farther away, or placed on another more moderate fire. 
A large baking-pan should have covered the top of the fish, to 
hold the heat. When nearly done, the paper should have been 
removed, to allow the surface to brown. 

Always grease the gridiron well, and have it hot, before the 
meat is placed on it. Any thing egged and bread - crumbed 
should be buttered before it is broiled. Fish should be butter- 
ed and sprinkled with flour, which will prevent the skin from 

* The author would add a small proportion of water to the pieces of 
fat. It facilitates the melting process, preserves the color, and will all 
evaporate in cooking. 



46 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

adhering to the gridiron. Cutlets, and in fa^.t every thing, are 
more delicate buttered before broiling. A little lemon-juice is 
also often a nice addition. Birds, and other things which need 
to be halved, should be broiled, inside first. 

Remember that a hot, clear fire is necessary for cooking all 
small articles. They should be turned often, to be cooked 
evenly, without being burned. 

Never put a fork in the lean part of meat on the gridiron, as 
it allows the juice to escape. 

Always cover the gridiron with a tin pan or a baking -pan. 
The sooner the meat is cooked without burning, the better. 
The pan holds the heat, and often prevents a stray line of 
smoke from touching the meat. 

If the fire should be too hot, sprinkle salt over it. 

Roasting. 

There is little use to talk about roasting, as but few will at- 
tempt it, always considering it easier to bake instead. Indeed, 
there is so little demand in many sections for stoves and ranges 
suited to the purpose that they are difiicult to obtain. Of 
course, there is no comparison between these modes of cook- 
ing. Beef, mutton, turkeys, ducks, or birds — in fact, any kind 
of meat is tenfold better roasted than baked. In Europe, all 
these articles are roasted ; and people there would have great con- 
tempt for a piece of beef or a turkey baked. In New York and 
Philadelphia, also, at the finer establishments, the meats are 
generally roasted. The trouble is little greater than to bake. 
It is only necessary to have the range or stove constructed for 
roasting, and a tin screen, with a spit and jack, to place before 
the coals. Some of the roasters are arranged with a spring- 
jack. The meat is placed on the spit, and the spring wound 
up, which sets the meat to revolving slowly before the fire. 

In roasting, the meat should at first be placed near the coals, 
so as to quickly harden the surface ; then it should be removed 
back a little distance, to be cooked through, without burning. 
The oftener it is basted, the better it is. If the roast of meat 
is very large, it should be surrounded with a buttered paper. 

Just before the meat is done, it should be basted with a little 



mACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 47 

butter or drippings, then sprinkled with flour, and placed near- 
er the fire, to brown nicely, when it will take a frothy appear- 
ance. 

Much depends upon the management of the fire. It should 
be made some time before the meat is placed for roasting, so 
that the coals may be bright and hot. It should also be strong 
enough to last, with only the addition of an occasional coal at 
the top. In fine establishments abroad, a grate for burning 
coal, charcoal, or wood is made in the kitchen, for the purpose 
of roasting only. This is convenient, but more expensive than 
roasting in ranges or stoves, where the same fire may serve for 
cooking every thing. 

Saut^ing. 
As I have already said, frying implies immersing in fat or 
oil ; but sauteing means to cook in a spider or saute pan, with 
just enough hot fat to keep the article, while being cooked, 
from sticking. The fat should always be quite hot before pla- 
cing on it any thing to cook. 

Braising. 

A braising -kettle has a deep cover, which holds coals; con- 
sequently, the cooking is done from above as well as below. It 
is almost air-tight, thus preventing evaporation, and the article 
to be cooked imbibes whatever flavor one may wish to give 
it. 

The article is generally cooked in stock or broth (water may 
be used also), with slices of bacon, onion, carrot, etc., placed 
around the meat. It is a favorite mode of cooking pigeons. 
An ordinary cut of beef may be made very savory cooked in 
this manner, and the juice left makes a good gravy when freed 
from fat. 

If a braising -pan is not at hand, a common, tight - covered 
saucepan answers very well without the upper coals. Except 
for coloring larding on the top of the article to be braised, I 
do not appreciate the value of the upper coals, anyway ; and 
the coloring may be accomplished with the salamander or hot 
shovel as well. 



48 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Larding. 

Cut the firmest bacon fat, with a heated or very sharp knife, 
into square lengths of equal size. Placing one end in a larding- 
needle, draw it through the skin and a small bit of the meat, 
leaving the strip of pork, or lardoon, as it is called, in the meat. 
The two ends left exposed should be of equal length. The 
punctures for the lardoons should be in rows, of equal distance 
apart, arranged in any fanciful way that may suit the cook. 
The usual form for larding, however, is as shown in cut (page 
51). 

Boning. 

Boning is not a difficult operation. It only requires time, a 
thin, sharp knife, and a little care. Cut off the neck, and also 
the legs at the first joint. Cut the skin in a line down the 
middle of the back. Now, taking first one side and then the 
other of the cut in the fingers, carefully separate the flesh from 
the bones, sliding the knife close to the bone. When you come 
to the wings and legs, it is easier to break or un joint the bones 
at the body -joint; cutting close by the bone, draw it, turning 
the flesh of the legs and wings inside out. AVhen all the bones 
are out, the skin and flesh can be re -adjusted and stuffed into 
shape. As the leg and wing bones require considerable time to 
remove, they may be left in, and the body stuffed with lamb or 
veal force-meat. See receipt for boned chicken (page 1V4). It 
is a very pretty and delicious dish. 

Egg and Bread Crumbing. 
Always sift the bread or cracker crumbs. Whenever there 
are spare pieces or trimmings of bread or broken crackers, dry 
them at once in the oven, and after pounding and sifting, put 
them away in a tin can, for future use. In preparing for use, 
beat the eggs a little. If they are to be used for sweet dishes, 
such as rice croquettes, sweeten them slightly. If they are to 
be used for meats, sweet -breads, oysters, etc., always salt and 
pepper them, and for a change, finely chopped parsley may be 
added. Add a small proportion of milk to the eggs, say a half- 
cupful for two of them, or for one of them, if intended for fish 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 49 

or cutlets. Have the eggs in one plate, and the bread-crumbs 
in another ; roll the article first in the crumbs, then in the Qgg^ 
then in the crumbs again. In the case of articles very soft, like 
croquettes, it will be more convenient for one person to shape 
and roll them in the eggs, and another, with dry hands, to roll 
them in the bread-crumbs. 

Pounded and sifted cracker - crumbs can be purchased by the 
pound, at bakeries and large groceries, for the same price as 
whole crackers. However, it will never be necessary to pur- 
chase cracker-crumbs, if all scraps of bread are saved and dried. 
It is deplorable for a cook to throw them away. It shows that 
she is either too indolent to ever learn to cook, or too ignorant 
of the uses of scraps of bread to be tolerated. If she saves 
them for purposes of charity, let her give fresh bread, which 
will be more acceptable, and save the scraps, which are equally 
useful to her. Yet if the bread-crumbs when pounded and 
sifted are not very fine, they are not as good as the cracker- 
dust. 

To Cook Puddings in Boiling Water. 

Wet and flour the cloth before adding the pudding. In ty- 
ing in the pudding, leave room enough for it to swell. If cook- 
ed in a mold, do not fill the mold quite full. Never let the wa- 
ter stop boiling. As it wastes away in boiling, replenish the 
kettle from another containing boiling water. 

It is better to cook these puddings (plum-puddings as well) 
in a steamer than in boiling water. The principle is really the 
same, and there is no water soaked. 

Dried Celery, Parsley, etc., for Winter Use. 
Celery, parsley, thyme, summer savory, sage, etc., should all 
be prepared for winter use. After drying and pulverizing, put 
them in tin cans or glass jars. Celery and parsley are especial- 
ly valuable for soups and gravies. 

Seeds for Soups. 
If the fresh or dried vegetables are not at hand, seeds, such 
as celery, carrot-seed, etc., can be substituted for a flavoring. 



50 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



To Flavor with Lemon Zest. 
Never use the white part of the peel of a lemon for flavoring. 
It is bitter. The little globules of oil in the surface of the rind 
contain all the pleasant flavor of the peel. It may be thinly 
pared off, avoiding the white pulp. Professional cooks, how- 
ever, rub loaf-sugar over the surface. The friction breaks the 
oil-ducts, and the sugar absorbs the oil. It is called zest. The 
sugar is afterward pounded fine for certain dishes, such as 
creams, meringues, etc. ; or it can be simply melted in custards 
and beverages. 

The Cook's Table of Weights and Measures. 
1 quart of sifted flour = 1 pound. 
1 quart of powdered sugar = 1 pound and V ounces. 
1 quart of granulated sugar = 1 pound and 9 ounces. 
Ipint of closely packed butter = 1 pound. 
Butter, size of an Qgg = about 2 ounces. 
10 eggs = 1 pound. 

3 cupfuls of sugar = 1 pound. 

5 cupfuls of sifted flour = 1 pound. 
1 heaping table-spoonful = ^th of a gill. 

4 gills = 1 pint ; 2 pints = 1 quart ; 4 quarts = 1 gallon. 

In my receipts, I prefer, generally, the use of terms of meas- 
ure to those of weight, because the former are more convenient 
for the majority of housekeepers. 

To Chop Suet. 

Sprinkle flour over it while chopping, whch will prevent the 
pieces from adhering. 

Rising-powder Proportions. 

To 1 quart of flour, use 2 J tea-spoonfuls of baking-powder ; 
or, 

To 1 quart of flour, use 1 tea -spoonful of soda, and 2 tea- 
spoonfuls of cream of tartar ; or. 

To 1 quart of flour, use 1 cupful of sour milk, and 1 tea- 
spoonful of soda. 



PRACTICAL COOEINO, AND DINNER GIVING. 



51 



To Make Roux. 
A roux is a mixture of butter and flour cooJced. It is gener- 
ally added, uncooked, to thicken a sauce or a soup ; but the 
flavor is much better if it is first cooked, and the sauce or soup 
is added to it. Professional French cooks always manage it 
in this way. When the butter is first brought to the boiling- 
point, in a small stew-pan or cup, the sifted flour is sprinkled 
in, and both are mixed well together over the fire with an egg- 
whisk, until the flour is well cooked ; a part of the sauce or 
soup is then stirred in until it becomes smooth and thin enough 
to add to the main sauce or soup. If the roux is intended for 
a white sauce, it is not allowed to color ; if for a brown sauce, 
it may color a little, or browned flour may be used. 




COOKING UTENSILS. 

The Bain Marie. — This is an open vessel, to be kept at the 
back of the range or in some warm place, to be filled with hot 
(not boiling) water. Several stew- 
pans, or large tin cups with covers 
and handles, are fitted in, which are 
intended to hold all those cooked 
dishes desired to be kept hot. If 
there are delays in serving the din- 
ner, there is no better means of 

preserving the flavor of dishes. 

The haiyi marie is especially convenient at any time for keep- 
ing sauces, or vegetables for gar- 
nish, which can not always be pre- 
pared at the last minute. 

The Braising-pan. — The use of 
this pan will be found by referring 
to the article on " braising." 

The Fish-kettle. — T\iQ fish is 
placed on the perforated tin sheet, which is then put into the 




52 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 




kettle of water. The fish is thus 
taken out of the water at will, 
without breaking. When done, 
it is placed for a minute over an 
empty iron kettle on the fire, to 
drain well and steam. It is then 
carefully slipped on a napkin in 
the hot platter in which it is to 
be served. 

The Custard-kettle. — This is an iron utensil, the inside kettle 
being lined with block -tin. Al- 
though there are cheaper custard- 
kettles made of tin, it is better 
economy to purchase those of iron, 
which are more durable. The in- 
side kettle containing the custard 
is placed in the larger one, which 

is partly filled with boiling 
water. 

-This pan 





Sieve for Purees. 

sides being made of tin 

invaluable for bean, pea, or any 
of the puree 
soups, which 
should be 
forced through 
the sieve. It is 



The Saute -pan. 
may either be used for saute- 
ing, or for an omelet pan. 
This is a substantial arrangement, the 
It is 





also used for bread or cracker crumbs — in 
fact, for any thing which requires sifting. 

The Steaming-kettle. — The article to be 
cooked is placed in the pan perforated with 
holes. It is put in the long kettle, which is 
partly filled with boiling water, then cover- 
ed with the close-fitting cover. This is an 
invaluable kettle for cooking vegetables. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



53 




puddings, and, in fact, almost any thing that is usually im- 
mersed in boiling water. A cabbage, with salt sprinkled among 
the leaves, is cooked much quicker in this way than when im- 
mersed, and is much more delicate. It is especially nice for 
plum -puddings, which then can not become water - soaked. 
Cooks generally manage to let the water stop boiling for some 
minutes when boiling puddings, which is just long enough to 
ruin them. This kettle is no less valuable for cooking chickens 
or rice. 

The Saratoga Potato-cutter. — The screws at the sides adjust 
a sharp knife, so that, by rubbing the 
potato over the plane, it may be cut as 
fine or as coarse as may be desired. 
The plane is also used for cutting cab- 
bage, or for onions to serve with cu- 
cumbers. Cabbage, however, should 
not be cut too thin, as it is thereby 
less crisp. Cost, 50 cents. 

The Can-opener. — This is the best and cheapest pattern. 
The handle, knife, and square 
piece are all made together of 
pressed iron. Cost, 25 cents. 
The Cream -whipper. — The handle A is placed inside the 
tube B. The tube is dipped into a bowl of ^ ^ 
sweetened and flavored cream. By churning 
and pressing it through the perforated holes, the 
cream becomes a light froth, which is skimmed 
off the top, and put on a sieve, as soon as a 
few table - spoonfuls of it are formed. Cost, 25 
cents. 

The Wire - basket, for Frying. — Articles to be 

fried are placed in the basket, which is im- 
mersed in boiling fat. It facilitates frying, as 
the articles are all cooked, lifted out, and well 
drained at the same time. It is especially nice 
for frying smelts or for boiling eggs. 

The Egg -poacher. — The eggs are carefully 
broken into the little cups, and placed in the stand. The 



«© 




54 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 




stand is then dipped into well - salted 
water, which is merely simmering. 
When done, each cup (formed like a 
shell) is taken out from the stand, and 
carefully tipped over a piece of butter- 
ed toast, leaving the egg with the pret- 
ty form of the cup on top. 

The Fish -stand. — Fried smelts are hung 
by catching them to the sharp points of the 
stand. The intervening places are filled with 
parsley or leaves, and the whole served in 
form of a pyramid. 

The Butter -roller. 
— The wooden squares 
are dipped into cold 
^ water. A small piece 

of butter (enough for one person at ta- 
ble) is placed on one square, then rolled 
around with the other one held in the 
other hand. A little ball is formed with 
a net-work surface. A number of balls 
are thus formed of the same size, and 
piled on the butter-dish, as in cut. 

Butter or Mashed -potato Syringe. — 
The butter is placed in the tube, and 
pressed through the round holes in the 

end on to the butter-dishes. It forms a pretty effect of fillets 
of butter, resembling vermicelli. Potatoes boiled, seasoned. 







and mashed may also be pressed through the tube around beef, 
venison, or almost any meat or fish dish, making a pretty dec- 
oration. 

French Vegetable-cutters. — The little cups of figures A and 
B are pressed into potatoes, or any bulbous vegetable, then 
turned around. The cutter A will make little potato-balls, say 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



55 



an inch in diameter, which are fried, and called " potatoes a 
la Parisienney The figure B will cut oblong forms. Smaller- 




sized cutters are preferable for cutting potatoes, carrots, turnips, 
etc., for garnishing a la jardiniere. 

Tin Cutter Sy for cutting 
Slices of Bread to fry for 
decorating Dishes {croutons)^ 
or to serve in Soups. — They 
may also be used for cutting 
slices of vegetables for dec- 
orations or for soups. 

Potato; Carrot, or Turnip Cutter. — This simple little instru- 
ment cuts the vegetables mentioned into curls. When the curl 
is cut, the vegetable is afterward cut from the outside to meet 
it, when it easily slips out. The handle is separate from the 
iron wire, and has to be taken ojff in order to remove the curl. 



6 





The curls can be boiled in salted water, if of carrots ; if of tur- 
nips, they are better cooked after the French receipt given ; if 
of potatoes, they are generally fried in boiling lard, and sprin- 
kled with a little salt as soon as done. They make a pretty 
garnish, or may be served alone. 

Fluted Knife, for cutting Vegetables into various fancy Forms 
ijj;^^^^M^ aa^ ^^^8^ for Decorations, or 

/- ^^MWin^^^^ for Salads. — Somo 




cut mushrooms 
this knife, to 
them a scolloped sur- 
face. 



with 
give 



56 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



French CooFs Knife. — Made of best steel. It can easily be 
kept very sharp, and made of almost constant use in preparing 

. dishes. It is especially 

useful for boning. It 
costs seVenty-five cents, 
yet, with proper care, should last a life-time. These knives are 
so light, sharp, and easily handled, that, when once used, a per- 
son would consider it very awkward to cook without one. 

A Knife for Peeling. — The wire prevents the Cutting of more 
than the skins of fruits or vegeta- 
bles. The wire may be attached 
or detached at will, for cleaning it. 

Wire Skewers (Fig. A). — They are about three inches long, 
and may be of silver or plain wire. Fig. B is a skewer run 

through three smelts, 
with thin slices of ba- 
con between. They are 
fried in boiling lard, 
and one skewerful is 
served to each person 
at table. The fish dish 
is garnished with lemon 
slices, one of which is placed on the top of each skewerful of 
fish when on the plate (see page 112). Fig. C, a skewer of al- 
ternate slices of egged and bread-crumbed sweet-breads and ba- 
con, managed in the same manner as the smelts (see page 155). 

Knife for carving Poultry and 
Game. — Besides cutting the flesh, 
this knife disjoints or cuts the 

bones, which are often embarrass- 
ing, especially in ducks and geese. 
Meat-squeezer, for pressing out 
the Juice of Beef for Invalids. — 
A piece of round -steak (which 
yields more juice than other cuts) 
is barely heated through, when it 
is cut, and the juice pressed out 
at the angle A into a warm cup, 





PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



57 



placed in a basin of hot water. The juice should be served 
immediately, and taken while still warm. 

Pancake -lifter. — This form, having more breadth than the 
ordinary square lifter, has the 
advantage of turning the pan- l|||||||l||||!!ijl 
cakes with greater facility. 
Brush, for rubbing whites 

of eggs over rusks, crullers, etc., or 
for glazing meats with clear stock, 
reduced by boiling to a stiff jelly. 
Larding -needles, Lardoons, and Manner of Larding. — See 
article on Larding, page 48. 







Apple -cover. — The larger tube is for coring 

apples ; the smaller one for coring Siberian 

crab-apples, for preserving. 

Jelly-stand. — This is simply and cheaply 
made. Rings can be fasten- 
ed to the ends of the cords, 
and slipped over the four 
top rounds, to hold the jel- 
ly-bag on the stand; or it 
may be tied. The jelly-bag 
should be made of flannel, 
or of Canton flannel. This 
arrangement is not only 
convenient for jellies, but 
for clear soups as well. '" 
3* 



_> 



-^^Ji 




58 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 



Meat -pie Mold. — Fig. A represents the mold closed, the 
wires at each end fastening the two 
sides together. It is here ready to be 
buttered, the crust to be laid in, and 
pressed into the decorations at the 
sides, filled, the top crust to be fitted 
over, and baked. Fig. B, the wire is 





drawn out one side, the mold opened, and removed from the 
pie. Fig. C, the pie ready to be served at table. 

Paste -jagger. — Fig. A represents a paste -jagger, for cutting 
A and ornamenting the edges of pie- 

crust. Fig. B is a plain circle of 
pie -crust cut with the jagger, to 
fit the pie-dish. Fig, C is part of 
a strip of pie-paste, which is cut 
with the jagger to lay around the 
edge of- the pie. Fig. D, the strip 









laid around the edge. Fig. E, the pie placed upon a plate, 
ready to serve at table. 

Glass or Tin Flower Forms. — These are flat forms for deco- 





PU ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



59 



rating the table with flowers. They are filled with water or wet 
sand. The flowers are placed in, and may, or may not, conceal 
the tin form. 

Molds. — Fig. A, a circular tin mold for blanc-manges, jellies, 
etc. Fig. B, supposed to be a hlanc-mange filled with strawber- 

A 







ries. These centres may be filled with any kind of berries, com- 
potes., fresh fruits, creams, etc., and make exceedingly pretty 
dishes. With a small mold of this 
kind one can prepare a very dainty- 
looking dish for an invalid. It may 
be filled with hlanc-mange, tapioca jel- 



ly, Irish moss, wine, or 
chicken jellies, etc., and fill- 
ed with a compote, a whip- 
ped cream, beaten eggs, or 
any allowable relish. Fig. 
C, a circular mold, of more 
elaborate pattern, yet quite 
as easy to manage as the 

simple one. Fig. D, wine jelly, filled with whipped cream. Fig. 

E, a casserole mold. Fig. F, a casserole of rice or mashed po- 





60 



PRACTICAL COOKim, AND DINNER GIVING. 




tatoes, filled with fried {sauted) spring chickens, with cream 
sauce, and surrounded with cauliflower blossoms. A pretty 
course for dinner, tea, or supper. 

Little Silver-plated Chafing-dish. — It is about four and a 
half inches square, for serving Welsh rare -bits, or for small 

pieces of venison - steak, with 
currant jelly. One is served to 
each person at table. The lower 
part is a reservoir for boiling-hot 
water. I have seen them also 
made with little alcohol -lamps 
underneath, when the thin slices of venison-steak can be partly 
or entirely cooked at table, in the currant jelly. At least, the 
preparation served is kept nicely hot. 

An Instrument for drawing Champagne, Soda, and other Ef- 
fervescing Liquids at pleasure, leaving the last Glass as spark- 
ling as the first. — The instrument D is driven through the cork 
in the bottle, the wire A is 
withdrawn, the button C 
turned, when the Cham- 
pagne is drawn through 
the tube B. When enough 
is drawn, the button is 
again turned, and the wire 
replaced before the bottle 
is raised. The bottle should 
then be kept bottom side 
up. The instrument is a perfect success, and can be obtained 
of H. B. Piatt & Co., 1211 Broadway, New York. It costs $1 85. 

Paper Cases for Souffles, Chick- 
ens a la Bechamel, or for any 




A 



thing that can he served scollop- 
ed, or en coquille. — These cases 
are easily and quickly made. 
They furnish a pretty variety at 
table, filled with any of the ma- 
terials described among the re- 
ceipts for articles to be served in paper cases or in shells. To 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



61 



make the paper cases, choose writing-paper : fold and crease it 
at the dotted lines in Fig. A, 
then cut the paper at the dark 
lines in Fig. B. By turning 
the corner squares, so that they 
may lap over the sides, the box 
is formed. Sew the sides to- 
gether, all around the box, hid- 
ing the stitches under the small 
piece of paper at the top, lapped over the outside. They should 

be buttered just be- 





fore 



filling. Fig. D 
is a case filled with 
a rice souffle. Figs. E 
and F are small cases 
made of round pieces 
of paper (four inches 
in diameter), creased 
with a penknife. The 
top may be left un- 
turned, as Fig. F, or turned twice, as Fig. E. These cases may 
be purchased al- 
ready made; how- 
ever, it is a pleas- 
ant diversion to 
make them. 

Paper Handles 

for Lamb -chops. Cutlets, etc. — A long strip of thin writing- 
paper is doubled, and 
cut half - way down 
with scissors, in as 
thin cuts as can be 
easily made (Fig. A, a 
fragment of the pa- 
per). One edge of the 
paper is then slipped a 
little distance farther 
than the corresponding edge, which gives the fine cuts a round 






62 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 




shape, as in Fig. B. The edges can be held in this position, 
with the aid of a very Httle mucilage. Now roll the paper 
spirally over a little stick, about the size of a cutlet bone. Fast- 
en the end with a little mucilage, and the paper handle is quite 
ready to slip over cutlet bones, just as they are about to be sent 
to the table. Larger -sized paper handles can be made in the 
same manner for boiled hams. 

Silver-plated Scallop Shell, for any thing served en coquille. 
— Articles served en coquille make a pretty course for lunch or 
dinner. The shells in plated silver 
^,,^5^^-11^,^;^.-^,.^^^^^^ are quite expensive, costing sixty dol- 
lars a dozen at Tiffany's. I imagine 
they could be made as well of block- 
tin, with a single coating of silver, and with the little feet rivet- 
ed, so as to stand the heat of the oven. 

A Meringue Decorator. — The little tin tube A (one-third of 
an inch in diameter), or B, is put in the bottom of the bag. 
Meringue (whipped whites of eggs, sweetened and flavored), or 
frosting for cakes, is put in the bag, and squeezed through the 
tube on puddings, lemon or meringue pies, or on cakes, form- 
ing any design that may suit the fancy. If it is squeezed 
through the tube A, the line of frost- 
ing will be round ; if through tube B, ^7^^|k 'ifT mHi 
it will be scalloped, when leaves and ^ 7 
flowers can easily be formed. The ^Bj, -1 ' I/, ' /// 
lady-fingers are shaped by pressing the ^ilil^llr/l 
cake batter through a tube half an inch Willi/ 

in diameter. The bag is easily made i»lM//// 

with tightly woven twilled cloth. The 

little tin tubes can be made at the tinsmith's, or at home, with 
a piece of tin, a large pair of scissors, and a little solder. With 

this little convenience, the trou- 
ble of decorating dishes is very 
slight, and their appearance is 
very much improved. 

Gravy and Sauce Strainer. — 
A sauce - strainer made of wire 
gauze of the form of cut pre- 





PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 63 

sents so much surface for straining that the operation is much 
quicker accompHshed than when using tin cups with a small 
circle of gauze or perforated holes at the bottom. 

An Egg-whisk. — Decidedly the best form for an egg-whisk 
is the one given in the cut. 
It is equally useful for mak- 
ing roux and sauces. By hold- 
ing the whisk perpendicularly, and vigorously passing it in the 
bottom of a saucepan, a small quantity of butter and flour or 
sauce can be thoroughly mixed. 



BREAD, AND BREAKFAST CAKES. 

It requires experience to make good bread. One must know, 
first, how long to let the bread rise, as it takes a longer time 
in cold than in warm weather ; second, when the oven is just 
of proper temperature to bake it. Bread should be put in a 
rather hot oven. It is nearly light enough to bake when put 
in; so the rule for baking bread differs from that of baking 
cake, which should be put into a moderate oven at first, to be- 
come equally heated through before rising. As bread requires 
a brisk heat, it is well to have the loaves small, the French- 
bread loaves being well adapted to a hot oven. After the bread 
is baked, the loaves should be placed on end (covered) at the 
back of the table until they become cool. 

To Make Yeast. 

Ingredients : A cupful of baker's yeast ; four cupf uls of flour ; 
two large potatoes, boiled ; one cupful of sugar, and six cupfuls 
of boiling water. 

Mix the warm mashed potatoes and sugar together ; then add 
the flour ; next, add the six cupfuls of boiling water, poured on 
slowly: this cooks the flour a little. It will be of the con- 
sistency of batter. Let the mixture get almost cold, stirring it 
well, that the bottom may become cool also. It will spoil the 
yeast if the batter be too hot. When lukewarm, add the tea- 
cupful of yeast. Leave this mixture in the kitchen, or in some 



64 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

warm place, perhaps on the kitchen - table (do not put it too 
near the stove), for five or six hours, until it gets perfectly 
light. Do not touch it until it gets somewhat light ; then stir 
it down two or three times during the six hours. This process 
makes it stronger. Keep it in a cool place until needed. 

This yeast will last perpetually, if a tea -cupful of it be al- 
ways kept, when making bread, to make new yeast at the next 
baking. Keep it in a stone jar, scalding the jar every time 
fresh yeast is made. 

In summer, it is well to mix corn-meal with the yeast, and 
dry it in cakes, in some shady, dry place, turning the cakes 
often, that they may become thoroughly dry. It requires about 
one and a half cakes (biscuit-cutter) to make four medium-sized 
loaves of bread. Crumb them, and let them soak in lukewarm 
water about a quarter or half an hour before using. 

To MAKE THE BrEAD. 

Ingredients : Flour, one and a half cupfuls of yeast, luke- 
warm water, a table-spoonful of lard, a little salt. 

Put two quarts of flour into the bread-bowl ; sprinkle a little 
salt over it ; add one and a half cupfuls of yeast, and enough 
lukewarm water to make it a rather soft dough. Set it one side 
to rise. In winter, it will take overnight ; in summer, about three 
hours. After it has risen, mix well into it one table - spoonful 
of lard ; then add flour (not too much), and knead it half an 
hour. The more it is kneaded, the whiter and finer it becomes. 
Leave this in the bread-bowl for a short time to rise ; then make 
it into loaves. Let it rise again for the third time. Bake. 

Mrs. Bonner's Bread. 

This is a delicious bread, which saves the trouble of making 
yeast. Twenty -five cents' worth of Twin Brothers' yeast will 
last a small family six weeks. I would recommend Mrs. Bon- 
ner's bread in preference to that of the last receipt. It is cheap- 
er and better, at last, to always have good bread, which is in- 
sured by using fresh yeast each time. 

For four loaves : At noon, boil three potatoes ; mash them 
well ; add a little salt, and two and a half cupfuls of flour ; also 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 65 

enough boiling water (that in which the potatoes were boiled) to 
make rather a thin batter. Let it cool, and when it is at about 
blood-heat, add a Twin Brothers' yeast-cake, soaked in half a 
tea -cupful of lukewarm water. One yeast -cake will be suf- 
ficient for four loaves of bread in summer ; but use one and a 
half yeast -cakes in winter. Stir well, and put it in a warm 
place. At night it will be light, when stir in enough flour to 
make the sponge. Do not make it too stiff. If you should hap- 
pen to want a little more bread than usual, add a little warm 
water to the batter. Let it remain in a warm place until morn- 
ing, when it should be well kneaded for at least twenty minutes. 
Half an hour or more would be better. Return the dough to 
the pan, and let it rise again. When light, take it out ; add 
half a tea-spoonful of soda, dissolved in a table-spoonful of wa- 
ter ; separate it into four loaves ; put them in the pans, and let 
it rise again. When light, bake it an hour. 

French Bread {Grace Melaine Lourant). 

Put a heaping table-spoonful of hops and a quart of hot wa- 
ter over the fire to boil. Have ready five or six large boiled 
potatoes, which mash fine. Strain the hops. Now put a pint 
of boiling water (that in which the potatoes were boiled) over 
three cupfuls of flour ; mix in the mashed potatoes, then the 
quart of strained hot hop-water, a heaping tea -spoonful of 
sugar, and the same of salt. When this is lukewarm, mix in 
one and a half Twin Brothers' yeast-cakes (softened). Let this 
stand overnight in a warm place. 

In the morning, a new process is in order : First, pour over 
the yeast a table-spoonful of warm water, in which is dissolved 
half a spoonful of soda ; mix in lightly about ten and a half 
heaping tea-cupfuls of sifted flour. No more flour is added to 
the bread during its kneading. Instead, the hands are wet in 
lukewarm water. Now knead the dough, giving it about eight 
or ten. strokes ; then taking it from the side next to you, pull it 
up into a long length, then double it, throwing it down snap- 
pishly and heavily. Wetting the hands again, give it the same 
number of strokes, or kneads, pulling the end toward you again, 
and throwing it over the part left in the pan. Continue this 



66 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND BINNER GIVING. 




process until large bubbles are formed in the dough. It will 
take half an hour or longer. The hands should be wet enough 
at first to make the dough rather supple. If dexterously man- 
aged, it will not stick to the hands after a few minutes ; and 
when it is kneaded enough, it will be very elastic, full of bub- 
bles, and will not stick to the pan. When this time arrives, put 
the dough away again in a warm place to rise. This will take 
one or two hours. 

Now comes another new process. Sprinkle plenty of flour 
on the board, and take out lightly enough dough to make one 
loaf of bread, remembering that the French loaves are not large, 
nor of the same shape as the usual home-made ones. With the 
thumb and forefinger gather up the sides 
carefully (to prevent doubling the meshes 
or grain of the dough) to make it round 
in shape. Flour the rolling-pin, press it 
in the centre, rolling a little to give the 
dough the form of cut. 
Now give each puffed end a roll toward the centre, lapping 
well the ends. Turn the bread entirely over, pulling out the 
ends a little, to give the 
loaf a long form, as in 
cut. 

Sprinkle plenty of 
flour on large baking -pans turned bottom side up, upon which 
lay this and the other loaves, a little distance apart, if there is 
room for two of them on one pan. Sprinkle plenty of flour on 
the tops, and set the pans by the side of the fire to again rise a 
little. It will take twenty-five or thirty minutes longer. Then 
bake. 

Kneading bread in the manner just described causes the 
grain of the bread to run in one direction, so that it may be 
pealed off in layers. Kneading with water instead of flour 
makes the bread moist and elastic, rather than solid and in 
crumbs. 

Petits Pains 
are made as in last receipt, by lightly gathering a little hand- 
ful of dough, picking up the sides, and turning it over in the 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 67 

form of a ball or a biscuit. They are baked as described for 
French bread, placing them a little distance apart, so that they 
may be separate little breads, each one enough for one person 
at breakfast. 

Toast. 

I have remarked before that not one person in a thousand 
knows how to make good toast. The simplest dishes seem to 
be the ones oftenest spoiled. If the cook sends to the table a 
properly made piece of toast, one may judge that she is a scien- 
tific cook, and may entertain, at the same time, exalted hopes 
of her. 

The bread should not be too fresh. It should be cut thin, 
evenly, and in good shape. The crust edges should be cut off. 
The pieces shaved off can be dried and put in the bread-crumb 
can. The object of toasting bread is to extract all its moisture 
— to convert the dough into pure farina of wheat, which is very 
digestible. Present each side of the bread to the fire for a few 
moments to warm, without attempting to toast it ; then turn 
about the first side at some distance from the fire, so that it 
may slowly and evenly receive a golden color all over the sur- 
face. Now turn it to the other side, moving it in the same 
way, until it is perfectly toasted. The coals should be clear 
and hot. Serve it the moment it is done, on a warm plate, or, 
what is better, a toast-rack ; consequently, do not have a piece 
of bread toasted until the one for whom it is intended is ready 
to eat it. 

" If, as is generally done, a thick slice of bread is hurriedly 
exposed to a hot fire, and the exterior of the bread is toasted 
nearly black, the intention of extracting the moisture is defeat- 
ed, as the heat will then produce no effect on the interior of the 
slice, which remains as moist as ever. Charcoal is a bad con- 
ductor of heat. The overtoasted surface is nothing more or 
less than a thin layer of charcoal, which prevents the heat 
from penetrating through the bread. Neither will butter pass 
through the hard surface : it will remain on it, and if exposed 
to heat, to melt it in, it will dissolve, and run over it in the 
rorm of rancid oO. This is why buttered toast is so often un- 
wholesome." 



68 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Dixie Biscuit {Mrs. Blair). 

Mix one tea-spoonful of salt into three pints of flour ; put one 
tea-cupful of milk, with two table-spoonfuls of lard, on the fire 
to warm. Pour this on two eggs, well beaten ; add the flour, 
with one tea-cupful of home-made yeast. When well mixed, 
set it in a warm place for about five hours to rise ; then form 
into biscuit ; let them rise again. Bake. 

Graham Bread. 
Make the sponge as for white bread ; then knead in Graham 
flour, only sifting part of it. Add, also, two or three table- 
spoonfuls of molasses. 

Rusks. 

Add to about a quart of bread dough the beaten yolks of 
three eggs, half a cupful of butter, and one cupful of sugar : mix 
all well together. When formed into little cakes (rather high 
and slender, and placed very near each other), rub the tops 
with sugar and water mixed; then sprinkle over dry sugar. 
This should fill two pans. 

Parker House Rolls {Mrs. Samuel Treat). 

Ingredients: Two quarts of flour, one pint of milk (meas- 
ured after boiling), butter the size of an Qgg, one table-spoonful 
of sugar, one tea-cupful of home-made yeast, and a little salt. 

Make a hole in the flour. Put in the other ingredients, in 
the following order: sugar, butter, milk, and yeast. Do not 
stir the ingredients after putting them together. Arrange this 
at ten o'clock at night ; set it in a cool place until ten o'clock 
the next morning, when mix all together, and knead it fifteen 
minutes by the clock. Put it in a cool place again until four 
o'clock P.M., when cut out the rolls, and set each one apart from 
its neighbor in the pan. Set it for half an hour in a warm place. 
Bake fifteen minutes. 

Beaten Biscuit. 
Rub one quarter of a pound of lard into one and a half 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 69 

pounds of flour, adding a pinch of salt. Mix enough milk or 
water with it to make a stiff dough. Beat the dough well 
with a rolling-pin for half an hour or more, or until the dough 
will break when pulled. Little machines come for the purpose 
of making beaten biscuit, which facilitate the operation. Form 
into little biscuit, prick them on top several times with a fork, 
and bake. 

Soda and Cream of Tartar Biscuit. 

Ingredients : One quart of flour, one tea-spoonful of soda, two 
tea-spoonfuls cream of tartar, one even tea-spoonful of salt, lard 
or butter the size of a small Qgg, and milk. 

Put the soda, cream of tartar, and salt on the table ; mash 
them smoothly with a knife, and mix well together ; mix them 
as evenly in the flour as possible ; then pass it all through the 
sieve two or three times. The success of the biscuits depends 
upon the equal distribution of these ingredients. Mix in the 
lard or butter (melted) as evenly as possible, taking time to 
rub it between the open hands, to break any little lumps. Now 
pour in enough milk to make the dough consistent enough to 
roll out, mixing it lightly with the ends of the fingers. The 
quicker it is rolled out, cut, and baked, the better will be the 
biscuits. 

The biscuits are cheaper made with cream of tartar and soda 
than with baking-powder, yet many make the 

Biscuits with Baking-powder. 

They are made as in the last receipt, merely substituting two 
heaping tea-spoonfuls of baking-powder for the cream of tartar 
and soda, and taking the same care to mix evenly. 

These biscuits are nice rolled quite thin (half an inch), and 
cut with a small cutter two inches in diameter. They may be 
served hot or cold, and are often used at evening companies, 
cold, split in two, buttered, and with chopped ham (as for 
sandwiches) placed between them. They are preferable to 
bread sandwiches, as they do not dry as quickly, and are, per- 
haps, neater to handle. These biscuits are especially nice when 
made with Professor Horsford's self-raising flour — of course, 



70 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the raising powders are omitted. The appreciation of hot bis- 
cuits is quite a Southern and Western American fancy. They 
are rarely seen abroad, and are generally considered unwhole- 
some in the Eastern States. 

Muffins. 

Ingredients : Two eggs, one pint of flour, one tea-cupful of 
milk or cream, butter half the size of an Qg^, a little salt, and 
one tea-spoonful of baking-powder. 

Mix the baking-powder and salt in the flour. Beat the eggs ; 
add to the yolks, first, milk, then butter (melted), then flour, then 
the whites. Beat well after it is all mixed, and bake them im- 
mediately in a hot oven, in gem-pans or rings. Take them out 
of the pans or rings the moment they are done, and send them 
to the table. The self-raising flour is very nice for making 
muffins. In using this, of course, the baking-powder should be 
omitted. 

Waffles. 

Ingredients : Two eggs, one pint of flour, one and a quarter 
cupfuls of milk or cream, one even tea-spoonful of yeast-pow- 
der, butter or lard the size of a walnut, and salt. 

Mix the baking-powder and salt well in the flour, then rub in 
evenly the butter ; next add the beaten yolks and milk mixed, 
then the beaten whites of the eggs. Bake immediately. 

Rice Waffles {Mrs. Gratz Brown). 
Ingredients : One and a half pints of boiled rice, one and a 
half pints of flour, half a tea-cupful of sour milk, half a tea-cup- 
ful of sweet milk, one tea-spoonful of soda, salt, three eggs, and 
butter size of a walnut. 

Rice Pancakes 
are made as in the last receipt, by adding an extra half -cupful 
of milk. 

Hominy Cake {Mrs. Watts Sherman). 

Add a spoonful of butter to two cupfuls of whole hom- 
iny (boiled an hour with milk) while it is still hot. Beat 
three eggs very light, which add to the hominy. Stir in gradu- 



PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 71 

ally a pint of milk, and, lastly, a pint of corn-meal. Bake in a 
pan. 

This is a very nice breakfast cake. Serve it, with a large 
napkin under it, on a plate. The sides of the napkin may 
cover the top of the cake until the moment of serving, which 
will keep it moist. 

Baked Hominy Grits {Mrs. Pope). 

Ingredients : One quart of milk, one cupful of hominy grits, ' 
two eggs, and salt. 

When the milk is salted and boiling, stir in the hominy grits, 
and boil for twenty minutes. Set it aside to cool thoroughly. 
Beat the eggs to a stifi froth, and then beat them well and 
hard into the hominy. Bake half an hour. 

Breakfast Puffs, or Pop-overs {Mrs. Hopkins). 

Ingredients : Two cupfuls of milk, two cupfuls of flour, two 
eggs, and an even tea-spoonful of salt. 

Beat the eggs separately and well, add the whites last, and 
then beat all well together. They may be baked in roll-pans, 
or deep gem-pans, which should be heated on the range, and 
greased before the batter is put in : they should be filled half 
full with the batter. Or they may be baked in tea-cups, of 
which eight would be required for this quantity of batter. 
When baked, serve immediately. For Graham gems use half 
Graham flour. 

Henriettes for Tea {French Cook), No. 1. 

Ingredients : Three eggs beaten separately, three-fourths of 
a cupful of cream or milk, a scant tea-spoonful of baking-pow- 
der, salt, one table-spoonful of brandy, a pinch of cinnamon, 
enough flour to make them just stiff enough to roll out easily. 

Roll them thin as a wafer, cut them into about two -inch 
squares, or into diamonds, with the paste-jagger, fry them in 
boiling lard, and sprinkle over pulverized sugar. 

Henriettes for Breakfast or Tea {French Cook), No. 2. 
Ingredients: Three eggs beaten separately, one cupful of 



73 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

milk, a scant tea -spoonful of baking-powder, salt, one table- 
spoonful of brandy, and flour enough to make a little thicker 
than for pancakes. 

Pass the batter through a funnel (one-third or one-half inch 
diameter at end) into hot boiling lard, making rings, or any 
figures preferred. Do not fry too much at one time. When 
done and drained, sprinkle over pulverized sugar, and lay them 
on a plate on a folded napkin. Serve. 

Wafer Biscuits. 

Kuh 1 piece of butter the size of a large hickory-nut into a 
pint of sifted flour; sprinkle over a little salt. Mix it into a 
stiff, smooth paste, with the white of an Qg^ beaten to a froth, 
and warm milk. Beat the paste with a rolling-pin for half an 
hour, or longer ; the more the dough is beaten, the better are 
the biscuits. Form the dough into little round balls about the 
size of a pigeon's egg ; then roll each of them to the size of a 
saucer. They should be mere wafers in thickness ; they can 
not be too thin. Sprinkle a little flour over the tins. Bake. 

These wafers are exceedingly nice to serve with a cheese 
course, or for invalids to eat with their tea. 

Corn Bread. 

Ingredients : One cupful of sour milk, one cupful of sweet 
milk, one table-spoonful of sugar or molasses, one tea-cupful of 
flour, two heaping tea-cupfuls of corn-meal, one tea-spoonful of 
salt, one tea -spoonful (not heaping) of soda, one and a half 
table-spoonfuls of melted lard or butter, and three eggs. 

Beat the eggs separately ; add the melted butter to the milk ; 
then the sugar, salt, yolks, soda (dissolved in a table-spoonful 
of warm water) ; and, lastly, the whites, flour, and corn-meal. 
Beat it all quickly and well together. Put it immediately in 
the oven, to bake half an hour. 

HoE Cake. 
Pour enough scalding water, or milk, on corn-meal (salted), 
to make it rather moist. Let it stand an hour, or longer. Put 
two or three heaping table-spoonfuls on a hot griddle, greased 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 73 

with pork or lard. Smooth over the surface, making the cake 
about half an inch thick, and of round shape. When browned 
on one side, turn and brown it on the other. Serve very hot. 
These are very nice breakfast cakes, with a savory crust. 

Corn Cake {Mrs. Lackland). 
Ingredients : One pint of milk, half a pint of Indian meal, 
four eggs, a scant table - spoonful of butter, salt, and one tea- 
spoonful of sugar. Pour the milk boiling on the sifted meal. 
When cold, add the butter (melted), the salt, the sugar, the 
yolks of the eggs, and, lastly, the whites, well beaten separate- 
ly. Bake half an hour in a hot oven. It is very nice baked 
in iron or tin gem-pans, the cups an inch and a half deep. 

Fried Corn Mush for Breakfast. 
Many slice the mush when cold, and simply saute it in a lit- 
tle hot lard. But as some cooks seem to have as great success 
in simple dishes as in elaborate ones, I shall consider this as at 
least one of the little successes taught me by a French cook. 
Of course, the mush is made by sprinkling the corn-meal into 
boiling salted water, or after the manner of Harriet Plater, given 
in the next receipt. It is thoroughly cooked, and made the day 
before wanted. When cold, it is sliced, each slice dipped in 
beaten eggs (salted) and bread or cracker crumbs, and fried in 
boiling-hot lard. One should try this, to know the superiority 
in the manner of cooking. 

Corn Mush 
is usually made by sprinkling corn-meal into well-salted boiling 
water (a pint of corn-meal to three pints of water), and cooking 
it well. But Harriet Plater (Mrs. Filley's most skillful cook) 
says that corn-meal mush is much lighter, and when fried for 
breakfast, browns better by cooking it as follows : 

" Put a quart of water on the fire to boil. Stir a pint of 
cold milk, with one pint of corn-meal and one tea-spoonful of 
salt. When the water boils, pour in the mixture gradually, 
stirring all well together. Let it boil for half an hour, stirring 
often, to prevent it from burning." 

4 



74 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Oatmeal Porridge. 

It seems very simple to make oatmeal porridge, yet it is a 
very different dish made by different cooks. The ingredients 
are: One heaping cupful of oatmeal to one quart of boiling 
water and one tea-spoonful of salt. Boil twenty minutes. 

The water should be salted and boiling when the meal is 
sprinkled in with one hand, while it is lightly stirred in with 
the other. When all mixed, it should boil without afterward 
being stirred more than is necessary to keep it from burning at 
the bottom, and to mingle the grains two or three times, so 
that they may all be evenly cooked. If much stirred, the por- 
ridge will be starchy or waxy, and poor in flavor. But the 
puffing of the steam through the grains without much stirring 
swells each one separately, and, when done, the porridge is 
light, and quite consistent. This same manner of cooking is 
applicable as well to all other grains. 

Mother Johnson's Pancakes {Adirondacks). 

These are famous pancakes, and, like every other good thing, 
there is a little secret in the preparation. 

Enough flour is added to a quart of sour milk to make a 
rather thick batter. The secret is that it is left to stand over- 
night, instead of being finished at once. It may even stand to 
advantage for twenty -four hours. However, if it is mixed at 
night, the next morning two well-beaten eggs and salt are to be 
added at the same time with half a tea-spoonful of soda, dis- 
solved in a table-spoonful of warm water. Cook immediately. 

Sirup. 
Mix two table - spoonfuls of water to two cupfuls of brown 
sugar and one even table-spoonful of butter. Let it boil about 
five minutes. 

Buckwheat Cakes. 
Scald two gills of Indian meal in one quart of boiling water. 
Add a little salt. When cool, add one gill of yeast, and stir in 
enough buckwheat flour to make a thin batter. Let it rise over- 
night. If by chance it is a little sour, just before cooking add 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 75 

one-fourth of a tea-spoonful of soda, dissolved in half a cupful 
of boiling water. Or, 

They may be made in the same manner without the Indian 
meal, merely adding the yeast to a quart of lukewarm water, 
and making the batter with buckwheat flour alone. 

Pancakes, with Flour or Corn-meal. 
Stir one or two cupfuls of cream or milk into two beaten 
eggs ; add flour or corn-meal enough to make a thin batter. If 
the milk is sweet, add one tea-spoonful of yeast-powder ; if it 
is sour, add, instead of the yeast-powder, half a tea-spoonful of 
soda, dissolved in a little warm water. 

Pancakes, with Bread-crumbs. 
Soak the bread-crumbs, then drain them. To two cupfuls of 
bread-crumbs add one cupful of flour or corn -meal, one egg, 
and milk enough to make a thin batter. If the milk is sweet, 
add a tea-spoonful of yeast-powder ; if sour, half a tea-spoonful 
of soda, dissolved in a table-spoonful of warm water. 

Strawberry Short-cake {Mrs. Pope). 

Ingredients : One quart of flour, two heaping tea-spoonfuls of 
yeast-powder, half a tea-spoonful of salt, butter size of an egg, 
milk, two quarts of strawberries. Mix the baking-powder into 
the flour, then rub in the butter (in the same manner as de- 
scribed for biscuits, page 72). Add enough milk to make a 
soft dough — rather softer than for biscuits. Spread this on 
two pie-tins. Bake in a quick oven. 

When the cakes are done, let them partly cool. Cut around 
the edges, and split them. Spread them with butter, then with 
one quart of mashed strawberries, with plenty of sugar ; then 
put between them the other quart of whole strawberries, sprin- 
kled with sugar. Serve a pitcher of cream with a strawberry 
short-cake. The cake in this form can be cut like a pie. It is 
a good summer breakfast as well as tea dish. Or, 

It can be made with sour milk, viz.: to two tea -cupfuls of 
sour milk add a tea -spoonful of soda, then three - fourths of a 
tea -cupful of butter or lard, partly melted, and enough flour to 



76 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

make a soft dough. Roll it into thin cakes large enough to 
fill the pan in which they are to be baked. When baked, 
split, and butter them while hot. Lay on a plate half of the 
cake, put on a layer of well-sugared strawberries, then the oth- 
er half, then more strawberries, and so on, until there are sev- 
eral layers. Or, 

These cakes can be made in the same way with currants, 
blackberries, cut peaches, chopped pine-apples, raspberries, etc. 



TEA. 

Two things are necessary to insure good tea : first, that the 
water should be at the boiling-point when poured on the leaves, 
water simply hot not answering the purpose at all ; and, second, 
that it should be served freshly made. Tea should never be 
boiled. So particular are the English to preserve its first aro- 
ma, that it is sometimes made on the table two or three times 
during a meal. In France, little silver canisters of tea are 
placed on the table, where it is invariably made. One tea- 
spoonful of the leaves is a fair portion for each person. Tea is 
better made in an earthen tea-pot, which tea connoisseurs are 
particular to have. They also drink the beverage without milk, 
and with loaf-sugar merely. 

Water at the first boiling-point is generally considered better 
for tea or coffee, and, in fact, any kind of cooking which requires 
boilino; water. 



COFFEE. 



The best coffee is made by mixing two-thirds Java and one- 
third Mocha. The Java gives strength, the Mocha flavor and 
aroma. 

Coffee should be evenly and carefully roasted. Much de- 
pends upon this. If even a few of the berries are burned, the 
coffee will taste burned and bitter, instead of being fine-flavored 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 77 

and aromatic. To have the perfection of coffee, it should be 
fresh - roasted each day. Few, however, will take that trouble. 
As soon as it is roasted, and while still hot, stir into it one or 
two eggs, together with their shells (about one egg to a pint of 
roasted coffee-beans). This will help to preserve the coffee, as 
well as to make it clear. Put it away in a close - covered tin- 
case, and grind it only just before using. 

Allow two heaping table - spoonfuls of ground coffee to a 
pint of water. Let the water be boiling when it is poured on 
the coffee. Cover it as tightly as possible, and boil it one min- 
ute ; then let it remain a few moments at the side of the range 
to settle. 

Delmonico allows one and a half pounds of coffee to one gal- 
lon of water. The coffee-pot, with a double base, is placed on 
the range in a vessel of hot water {bain-marie). The boiling- 
water is poured over the coffee, which is contained in a felt 
strainer in the coffee-pot. It is not boiled. 

Of course, much depends upon the care in preparing the cof- 
fee to insure a delicious beverage ; but equally as much depends 
upon serving with it good thick cream. Milk, or even boiled 
milk, is not to be compared with cream. In cities, a gill, at least, 
might be purchased each morning for coffee, or a few table- 
spoonfuls might be saved from the evening's milk for at least 
one cup. Fill the cup two-thirds full, then, with hot, clear coffee, 
pour in one or two table-spoonfuls of cream, and use loaf-sugar. 

Professor Blot, in his lectures, was very emphatic as to the 
impropriety of boiling coffee. He said by this means the aro- 
ma and flavor were carried into the attic, and a bitter decoction 
was left to be drunk. He preferred decidedly the coffee made 
in the French filter coffee-pot. 

I have experimented upon coffee, and prefer it boiled for one 
minute in the ordinary coffee-pot. That made in the French 
filter is also most excellent. It is not boiled, and requires a 
greater proportion of coffee. But to be explicit, put the coffee 
in the filter. At the first boil of the water, pour one or two 
coffee-cupfuls of it on the coffee. Put back the water on the 
fire. When boiling again, pour on as much more, and repeat 
the process until the desired quantity is made. 



78 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

CHOCOLATE (Miss Sallie Schenck). 

Allow two sticks of chocolate to one pint of new milk. 
After the chocolate is scraped, either let it soak an hour or so, 
with a table-spoonful of milk to soften it, or boil it a few mo- 
ments in two or three table-spoonfuls of water. Then, in either 
case, mash it to a smooth paste. When the milk, sweetened to 
taste with loaf-sugar, is boiling, stir in the chocolate-paste, add- 
ing a little of the boiling milk to it first, to dilute it evenly. 
Let it boil half a minute. Stir it well, or mill it, and serve im- 
mediately. 

Maillard's chocolate is flavored with a little vanilla. The 
commoner brands, such as Baker's, will be nearly as good by 
adding a little vanilla when making. Miss Schenck (noted for 
her chocolate) adds a very little flavoring of brandy. 

A very good addition, and one universally seen, when choco- 
late is served at lunch parties, is a heaping table - spoonful of 
whipped-cream, sweetened and flavored with a little vanilla be- 
fore it is whipped, placed on the top of the chocolate in each 
cup, the cup being only three-quarters filled with the chocolate. 



COCOA. 

Many use cocoa rather than chocolate. It has the same 
flavor, but it has more body, and is richer and more oily. It is 
made in the same Avay as chocolate, but a few drops of the es- 
sence of vanilla should be invariably added. 



SOUP. 

The meat should be fresh, lean (all fat possible being re- 
moved), and juicy to make the best soup. It is put into cold, 
clear water, which should be heated only moderately for the 
first half -hour. The object is to extract the juices of the meat, 
and if it be boiled too soon, the surface will become coagulated, 
thereby imprisoning the juice within. After the first half-hour 



FliACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEM GIVING. 79 

the pot should be placed at the back of the stove, allowing the 
soup to simmer for four or five hours. 

Nothing is more disagreeable at table than greasy soup. As 
all particles of fat are taken off hot liquor with some difficulty, 
soup should be made the day before it is to be used, when the 
fat will rise to the top and harden. It can then be easily re- 
moved. 

When vegetables are used, they should be add^d only in time 
to become thoroughly done : afterward they absorb a portion 
of the richness of the soup. 

When onions are used, they impart better flavor by being 
fried or sauted in a little hot butter or other grease, before they 
are added to the soup. In fact, many professional cooks fry 
other vegetables also, such as carrots and turnips. Sometimes 
they even fry slightly the chickens, beef, etc., and then cut them 
into smaller pieces for boiling. Potatoes and cabbage should 
be boiled in separate water before they are added to a soup. 

Amateur cooks seem to have a great aversion to making 
stock. They think it must be something troublesome, and too 
scientific to undertake ; whereas, in truth, it saves the trouble of 
going through the process of soup -boiling every day, and it is 
as easy to make as any simple soup. One has only to increase 
the quantity of meat and bones to any desired proportion, add- 
ing pepper and salt, and also vegetables, if preferred. 

The stock should be kept in a stone jar. It will form a jel- 
ly, and in cool weather will last at least a week. 

Just before dinner each day, in order to prepare soup, it is 
only necessary to cut off some of the jelly and heat it. It is 
very good with nothing additional ; but one can have a change 
of soup each day by adding different flavorings, such as onion, 
macaroni, vermicelli, tomato, tapioca, spring vegetables (which 
will make a julienne), poached eggs, fried bread, asparagus, cel- 
ery, green pease, etc. I will be explicit about these additions 
in the receipts. Stock is also valuable for gravies, sauces, and 
stews, and for boiling many things, such as pigeons, chickens, etc. 

Stock, or Pot au Feu. 
In ordinary circumstances, beef alone, with some vegetables, 



so PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

will make a good broth or stock, in the proportion of two and 
a half pints of cold clear water to each pound of bones and 
meat ; the bones and meat should be of about equal weight. 
It makes the soup more delicate to add chicken or veal. 
Chicken and veal together make a good soup, called blond 
de veau. Good soup can be made, also, by using the trim- 
mings of fresh meat, bits of cold cooked beef, or the bones of 
any meat or fowl. In the choice of vegetables, onions (first 
fried or sauted, and a clove stuck in), parsley, and carrots are 
oftenest used : turnips, parsnips, and celery should be employ- 
ed more sparingly. The soup bunch at market is generally a 
very good distribution of vegetables. Nothing is more simple 
than the process of making stock or broth. Remember not to 
let it boil for the first half -hour ; then it should simmer slowly 
and steadily, partly covered, for four or five hours. In royal 
kitchens the stock is cooked by gas. Skim frequently ; as 
scum, if allowed to remain, gives an unpleasant flavor to the 
soup. Use salt sparingly, putting in a little at first, and sea- 
soning at the last moment. Many a good soup is spoiled by 
an injudicious use of seasoning. Some add a few drops of 
lemon-juice to a broth. If wine or catsup is added, it should 
only be done at the last moment. Always strain the soup 
through a sieve or soup - strainer. Small scraps of meat or 
sediment look slovenly in a soup. Or, 

A Simple Stock. 
If you have no vegetables (you should always have them, 
especially onions and carrots, as they will keep), a very good 
stock can be made by employing the meat and bones alone, 
seasoned with pepper and salt. If rich enough, it might be 
served in this manner. However, it is a simple thing, about 
fifteen minutes before dinner, each day, to add a little boiled 
macaroni, fried onions, etc., to vary the soup. 

Gouffe's Receipt for Stock, or Bouillon. 
Three pounds of beef ; one pound of bone (about the quan- 
tity in that weight of meat) ; five and a half quarts of clear 
cold water ; two ounces of salt ; two carrots, say ten ounces ; 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 81 

two large onions, say ten ounces, with two cloves stuck in 
them ; six leeks, say fourteen ounces ; one head of celery, say 
one ounce ; two turnips, say ten ounces ; one parsnip, say two 
ounces. 

Bouillon served at Luncheons, Germans, etc. 

Purchase about six pounds of beef and bone (soup bones) 
for ten persons. Cut up the meat and break the bones ; add 
two quarts of cold water, and simmer slowly until all the 
strength is extracted from the meat. It will take about five 
hours. Strain it through a fine sieve, removing every particle 
of fat ; and if there is more than ten cupfuls, reduce it by boil- 
ing to that quantity. Season only with pepper and salt. 

It is served in bouillon cups at luncheons, at evening compa- 
nies, Germans, etc. 

Sometimes it is served clear and transparent, after the re- 
ceipt for Amber Soup. 

Amber Soup, or Clear Broth. 

This soup is served at almost all company dinners. There 
can be no better choice, as a heavy soup is not then desirable. 

Ingredients : A large soup bone (say two pounds), a chicken, 
a small slice of ham, a soup bunch (or an onion, two sprigs of 
parsley, half a small carrot, half a small parsnip, half a stick of 
celery), three cloves, pepper, salt, a gallon of cold water, whites 
and shells of two eggs, and caramel for coloring. 

Let the beef, chicken, and ham boil slowly for five hours ; 
add the vegetables and cloves, to cook the last hour, having 
first fried the onion in a little hot fat, and then in it stuck the 
cloves. Strain the soup into an earthen bowl, and let it remain 
overnight. Next day remove the cake of fat on the top ; take 
out the jelly, avoiding the settlings, and mix into it the beaten 
whites of the eggs with the shells. Boil quickly for half a 
minute ; then, placing the kettle on the hearth, skim off care- 
fully all the scum and whites of the eggs from the top, not 
stirring the soup itself. Pass this through the jelly bag, when 
it should be quite clear. The soup may then be put aside, 
and reheated just before serving. Add then a large table- 

4* 



82 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

spoonful of caramel, as it gives it a richer color, and also a 
slight flavor. 

Of course, the brightest and cleanest of kettles should be 
used. I once saw this transparent soup served in Paris, with- 
out color, but made quite thick with tapioca. It looked very- 
clear, and was exceedingly nice. 

This soup may be made in one day. After it is strained, 
add the eggs and proceed as in receipt. However, if it is to 
be served at a company dinner, it is more convenient to make 
it the day before. 

To MAKE Caramel, or Burned Sugar, for coloring Broth. 

The appearance of broth is improved by being of a rich am- 
ber color. The most innocent coloring substance, which does 
not impair the flavor of the broth, is caramel, prepared as fol- 
lows : 

Put into a porcelain saucepan, say half a pound of sugar, 
and a table-spoonful of water. Stir it constantly over the fire 
until it has a bright, dark-brown color, being very careful not 
to let it burn or blacken. Then add a tea-cupful of water and 
a little salt ; let it boil a few moments longer ; cool and strain 
it. Put it away in a close-corked bottle, and it is always ready 
for coloring soups. 

Thickenings for Soup. 
I have before recommended the making of soup the day be- 
fore it is served, as this is the best means of having it entirely 
free from fat and settlings. Just before it is served, it may be 
thickened with corn starch, sago, tapioca, pearl barley, rice, etc. 
If a thickening of flour is used, let it be a roux, mixed accord- 
ing to directions, page 51. However, a rich stock jelly needs 
no thickening. 

Additions to Beef Stock, to form Other Kinds of Soup. 
It is well, just before the beef soup is sent to table, to drop 
into the tureen poached eggs, which have been cooked in salted 
water, and neatly trimmed. There may be an Qgg for each 
person at table. This is a favorite soup in Havana. Or, 



PRACTICAL COOKIN(^, AND DINNER GIVING. 83 

Put into the tureen, just before the soup is sent to table, 
slices of lemon — one slice for each plate. Or, 

Yolks of hard-boiled eggs, one for each person. Or, 

Put into the tureen croutons or dice of bread, say three- 
quarters of an inch square, fried in a little butter. When 
frying, or rather sauteing, turn them, that all sides may be 
browned. They may be prepared several hours, if more con- 
venient, before dinner ; then left near the fire, to become crisp 
and dry. This makes a very good soup, and is also an excel- 
lent means of using dry bread. It is a favorite French soup, 
called i^otage aux croutons. Or, 

Drop into the tureen force-meat balls. 

Receipt for Force-meat Balls. 

Take any kind of meat or chicken, or both (that used for 
making the soup will answer) ; chop it very fine ; season it 
with pepper, salt, a little chopped parsley and thyme, or a lit- 
tle parsley and fried onion, or with thyme, or parsley alone, a 
little lemon-juice, and grated peel. Break in a raw egg, and 
sprinkle over some flour ; roll them in balls the size of a pig- 
eon's egg. Fry or saute them in a little butter, or they may 
be cooked in boiling water ; or they may be egged and bread- 
crumbed, and fried in boiling lard. This is the most simple 
receipt. The French take much trouble in making quenelles, 
etc., for soup. Or, 

A simple and delicious addition is that of four or five table- 
spoonfuls of stewed tomatoes. 

Macaroni Soup 
is only an addition of macaroni to the stock -jelly. However, 
boil the macaroni first in salted water. When done, drain it, 
and cut it into about two or three inch lengths. Put these 
pieces into the soup when it is simmering on the fire, then 
serve it a few minutes after. Many send, at the same time, a 
plate of grated cheese. This is passed, a spoon with it, after 
the plates of soup are served, each person adding a spoonful of 
it to their soup, if they choose. They probably will not choose 
it a second time. 



84 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Vermicelli Soup 
is made exactly as macaroni soup, only the vermicelli is not 
cut, and, if very little of it is used, it may be boiled in the 
soup. Often the stock for vermicelli is preferred made of veal 
and chicken, instead of beef ; however, either is very good. 
Grated cheese may also be served with it. 

Noodles {Eleanore Bouillotat). 

Three delicious dishes may be made from this simple and 
economical receipt for noodles : 

To three eggs (slightly beaten), two table-spoonfuls of water, 
and a little salt, add enough flour to make a rather stiff dough ; 
work it well for fifteen or twenty minutes, as you would dough 
for crackers, adding flour when necessary. When pliable, cut 
off a portion at a time, roll it thin as a wafer, sprinkle over 
flour, and, beginning at one side, roll it into a rather tight roll. 
With a sharp knife, cut it, from the end, into very thin slices 
(one -eighth inch), forming little wheels or curls. Let them 
dry an hour or so. Part may be used to serve as a vegetable, 
part for a noodle soup, and the rest should be dried, to put one 
side to use at any time for a beef soup. 

To SERVE AS A VEGETABLE. 

Three cupfuls of fresh noodles, three quarts of salted boil- 
ing water, bread-crumbs, butter size of an Qgg. 

Throw a few of the noodles at a time into the boiling salted 
water, and boil them until they are done, separating and shak- 
ing them with a large fork to prevent them from matting to- 
gether. Skin them out when done, and keep them on a warm 
dish in a warm place until enough are cooked in a similar man- 
ner. Now mix the butter (in which the bread-crumbs were 
fried) evenly in them ; put them on the platter on which they 
are to be served, and sprinkle over the top bread-crumbs fried 
or sauted in some hot butter until they are of a light-brown 
color. This is a very good dish to serve with a fish, or with 
almost any meat, or it can be served as a course by itself; or 
the noodles can be cooked as macaroni, with cheese. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 85 

Noodle Soup. 

Add to the water in which the noodles were boiled, as in last 
receipt, part of the butter in which the bread-crumbs were 
sauted, a table - spoonful of chopped parsley, and two or three 
table-spoonfuls of the cooked noodles. Season with more salt, 
if necessary. Serve. 

Beef Noodle Soup. 

Add to a beef stock a small handful of fresh or dried noodles 
about twenty minutes before serving, which will be long enough 
time to cook them. 



Many varieties of soups may be made by adding different 
kinds of vegetables to beef soup or stock. Cauliflower, cab- 
bage, potatoes, and asparagus are better boiled in separate wa- 
ter, and added to the soup-tureen at the last moment. Onions, 
leeks, turnips, and carrots are better fried to a light color in a 
satcte pan with a little butter or clarified grease, and added to 
the soup. In frying, it is better to accompany the vegetable 
or vegetables with a little onion. 

If you add more onion, more turnip, or more carrot than any 
other vegetable, you have onion, turnip, or carrot soup. I will 
specify a few combinations of vegetables. 

Spring Soup. 

A stock with any spring vegetables added which have first 
been parboiled in other water. Those generally used are pease, 
asparagus-tops, or a few young onions or leeks. This soup is 
often colored with caramel. Or, 

Here is Francatelli's receipt for spring soup, a little simplifi- 
ed : Cut with a vegetable - cutter two carrots and two turnips 
into little round shapes ; add the white part of a head of celery ; 
twelve small young onions, sliced, without the green stalks ; and 
one head of cauliflower, cut into flowerets. Parboil these vege- 
tables for three minutes in boiling water. Drain, and add them 
to two quarts of stock, made of chicken or beef (chicken is bet- 
ter). Let the whole simmer gently for half an hour, then add 



86 PEACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the white leaves of a head-lettuce (cut the size of a half-dollar, 
with a cutter). As soon as tender, and when about to send the 
soup to the table, add half a gill of small green pease, and an 
equal quantity of asparagus - heads, which have been previously 
boiled in other water. 

Julienne Soup, with Poached Eggs (Dubois). 

Take two medium - sized carrots, a medium -sized turnip, a 
piece of celery, the core of a lettuce, and an onion. Cut them 
into thin fillets about an inch long. Fry the onion in butter 
over a moderate fire, without allowing it to take color ; add the 
carrots, turnips, and celery — raw, if tender; if not, boil them 
separately for a few minutes. After frying all slowly for a few 
moments, season with a pinch of salt and a tea -spoonful of 
powdered-sugar. Then moisten them with a gill of broth, and 
boil until reduced to a glaze. Now add nearly two quarts of 
good stock, which has been skimmed and passed through a 
sieve, and remove the stew-pan to the back of the stove, so that 
the soup may boil only partially. A quarter of an hour after 
add the lettuce (which has been boiled in other water), and a 
few raw sorrel leaves, if they can be procured. This soup is 
quite good enough without eggs, yet they are a pleasant addi- 
tion. Poach them in salted water, trim them, and drop into the 
soup-tureen just as it is ready to send to the table. Many color 
this soup with caramel. In that case, the sugar should be omit- 
ted. 

Asparagus Soup. 

Ingredients : Three pints of beef soup or stock, thirty heads 
of asparagus, a little cream, butter, flour, and a little spinach. 

Cut the tops off the asparagus, about half an inch long, and 
boil the rest. Cut off all the tender portions, and rub them 
through a sieve, adding a little salt. Warm three pints of 
stock, add a roux made of a small piece of butter and a heap- 
ing tea-spoonful of flour ; then add the asparagus pulp. Boil 
it slowly a quarter of an hour, stirring in two or three table- 
spoonfuls of cream. Color the soup with a tea-spoonful of 
spinach green, and, just before serving it, add the asparagus- 
tops, which have been separately boiled. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 87 

Many like this soup, but I prefer simply boiled asparagus- 
points added to stock or beef soup, just before serving. 

Spinach Green. 

Pound some spinach well, adding a few drops of water; 
squeeze the juice through a cloth, and put it on a strong fire. 
As soon as it looks curdy, take it off, and strain the liquor 
through a sieve. What remains on the sieve will be the color- 
ing matter. 

Ox-tail Soup. 

Ox-tails make an especially good soup, on account of the 
gelatinous matter they contain. 

Ingredients : Two ox-tails, a soup bunch, or a good-sized 
onion, two carrots, one stalk of celery, a little parsley, and a 
small cut of pork. 

Cut the ox-tails at the joints, slice the vegetables, and mince 
the pork. Put the pork into a stew-pan. When hot, add first 
the onions ; when they begin to color, add the ox-tails. Let 
them fry or saute a very short time. Now cut them to the 
bone, that the juice may run out in boiling. Put both the ox- 
tails and fried onions into a soup kettle, with four quarts of 
cold water. Let them simmer for about four hours ; then add 
the other vegetables, with three cloves stuck in a little piece of 
onion, and pepper and salt. As soon as the vegetables are well 
cooked, the soup is done. Strain it. Select some of the joints 
(one for each plate), trim them, and serve them with the soup. 
Or, if preferred, the joints may be left out. 

Chicken Soup {Potage a la Heine). — Francatelli. 
Roast a large chicken. Clear all the meat from the bones, 
chop, and pound it thoroughly with a quarter of a pound of 
boiled rice. Put the bones (broken) and the skin into two 
quarts of cold water. Let it simmer for some time, when it 
will make a weak broth. Strain it, and add it to the chicken 
and rice. Now press this all through a sieve, and put it away 
until dinner-time. Take off the grease on top ; heat it without 
boiling, and, just before sending to table, mix into it a gill of 
boiling cream. Season carefully with pepper and salt. 



88 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Pur6e of Chicken {Giusejype Romanii). 
Chef de Cuisine of the Cooking -school in New York. 

Ingredients: One and a half pounds of chicken, one and a 
half quarts of white stock (made with veal), half a sprig of 
thyme, two sprigs of parsley, half a blade of mace, one shallot, 
a quarter of a pound of rice, and half a pint of cream. 

Roast the chicken, and when cold cut off all the flesh ; put 
the bones into the white stock, together with the thyme, mace, 
parsley, shallot, and washed rice ; boil it until the rice is very 
thoroughly cooked. In the mean time, chop the chicken ; 
pound it in a mortar ; then pass it through a sieve or colan- 
der, helping the operation by moistening it with a little of the 
stock. Strain the balance of the stock, allowing the rice to pass 
through the sieve. 

Half an hour before dinner, add the chicken to the stock 
and heat it without boiling. Just before serving, add to it half 
a pint of boiling cream. Season with pepper and salt. 

Plain Chicken Soup. 
Cut up the chicken, and break all the bones ; put it in a gal- 
lon of cold water ; let it simmer for five hours, skimming it well. 
The last hour add, to cook with the soup, a cupful of rice and 
a sprig of parsley. When done, let the kettle remain quiet a 
few moments on the kitchen table, when skim off every parti- 
cle of fat with a spoon. Then pour all on a sieve placed over 
some deep dish. Take out all the bones, pieces of meat, and 
parsley. Press the rice through the sieve. Now mix the rice, 
by stirring it with the soup, until it resembles a smooth puree. 
Season with pepper and salt. 

GiBLET Soup. 

This soup is a great success. It is very inexpensive, a plate 
of giblets only costing at market five cents. It is a very good 
imitation of mock-turtle soup, and, after the first experience in 
making, it will be found very easy to manage. 

Ingredients: The giblets of four chickens or two turkeys, 
one medium -sized onion, one small carrot, half a turnip, two 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 89 

sprigs of parsley, a leaf of sage, eggs, a little lemon-juice, Port 
or Madeira wine, and one or two cupfuls of chicken or beef 
stock, quite strong. 

Cut up the vegetables. Put a piece of butter the size of a 
small Qgg into a stew-pan. When quite hot, throw in the sliced 
onion. When they begin to brown, add the carrot and turnip, 
a table-spoonful of flour, and the giblets. Fry them all quick- 
ly for a minute, watching them constantly, that the flour may 
brown, and not burn. Now cut the giblets (that the juice may 
escape), and put all into the soup-kettle, with a little pepper and 
salt, and three quarts of water — of course, stock would be much 
better, and for extra occasions I would recommend it ; or with- 
out stock, one could add any fresh bones or scraps of lean meat 
one might happen to have. Pieces of chicken are especially 
well adapted to this soup ; yet, for ordinary occasions, giblets 
alone answer very well. 

Let the soup simmer for five hours ; then strain it. Thicken 
it a little with roux (page 51), letting the flour brown, and add 
to it also one of the livers mashed. Season with the additional 
pepper and salt it needs, a little lemon -juice, and two table- 
spoonfuls of Port or Madeira wine. Put into the soup tureen 
yolks of hard-boiled eggs, one for each person at table. Pour 
over the soup, and serve. 

Mock-turtle Soup {New York Cooking-school). 

Let some one beside yourself remove the flesh from a calf's 
head, viz., cut from between the ears to the nose, touching the 
bone ; then, cutting close to it, take off all the flesh. Turn over 
the head, cut open the jaw-bone from underneath, and take out 
the tongue whole. Turn the head back again, crack the top of 
the skull between the ears, and take out the brains whole ; they 
may be saved for a separate dish. Soak all separately for a few 
moments in salt and water. Cut the skull all to pieces, wash it 
quickly, and put it on the fire in four quarts of cold water, to- 
gether with the flesh, tongue, half a bunch of parsley, half a 
stalk of celery, one large bay-leaf, three cloves, half an inch of 
a stick of cinnamon, six whole allspice, six pepper -corns, half 
of a large carrot, and one turnip. When the tongue is tender, 



90 PRACTICAL COOKINO, AND DINNER GIVING. 

take it out, to be served as a separate disli (with spinach or 
with sauce Tartare). Leave in the flesh for about two hours, 
when it will be perfectly tender. Let the bones, etc., simmer 
for six hours, then strain, and put it away until the next day. 

At the same time that the calf's head is cooking in one ves- 
sel, make a stock in another, with a beef or veal soup-bone (two 
or three pounds), and any scraps of poultry (it would be im- 
proved with a chicken added ; and one might take this oppor- 
tunity to have a boiled chicken for dinner, cooking it in the 
stock), put into two or three quarts of water, and simmered 
until reduced to a pint. 

The next day, remove the fat and settlings from the two 
stocks. 

Put into a two-quart stew-pan two ounces of butter (size of an 
egg), and, when it bubbles, stir in an ounce of ham cut in strips, 
and one heaping table-spoonful of flour (one and a half ounces). 
Stir it constantly until it gets quite brown, pour the reduced 
stock over it, mix it well, and strain it. 

Now to half a pound of the calf's head cut in dice add one 
quart of the calf's-head stock boiling hot, and the pint of re- 
duced and thickened stock, the juice of half a lemon, and one 
glassful of sherry. When it is about to boil, set it one side, 
and skim it very carefully. Add the flesh cut from the head, 
cut in dice, and two hard-boiled eggs cut in dice, and salt. Or, 

Receipt for Egg-halls. — If, instead of the egg-dice, egg-balls 
should be preferred, add to the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs 
the raw yolk of one egg, one table-spoonful of melted butter, a 
little salt and pepper, and enough sifted flour to make it con- 
sistent enough to handle. Sprinkle flour on the board, roll it 
out about half an inch thick, cut it into dice, and roll each one 
into little balls in the palm of the hand. Put these into the 
soup five minutes before it is served, to cook. Or, 

Receipt for Meat-halls. — If, instead of meat-dice, meat-balls 
should be preferred, to three - fourths of a cupful of the head- 
meat, chopped very fine, add a pinch of thyme, the grated peel 
of half a lemon, one raw egg, and flour enough to bind all to- 
gether. Form into little balls the size of a hickory-nut ; saute 
them in a little hot butter. Or, 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 91 

It is very nice to add, instead of egg - balls, whole yolks of 
hard-boiled eggs, one for each plate. 

The brains may be used for making croquettes (page 176), or 
as in receipt (page 151). 

A SIMPLE Mock-turtle Soup. 

Put four pig's feet, or calf's feet, and one pound of veal into 
four quarts of cold water, and let it simmer for five hours, re- 
ducing it to two quarts. Strain it, and let it remain overnight. 
The next day skim off the fat from the top, and remove the 
settlings from the bottom. 

About half an hour before dinner put the soup on the fire, 
and season it with half a tea -spoonful of powdered thyme, a 
salt - spoonful of mace, a salt - spoonful of ground cloves. Sim- 
mer it for ten minutes. Now make a roux in a saucepan, viz. : 
put in one ounce of butter (size of a walnut), and, when it bub- 
bles, sprinkle in one and a half ounces of flour (one table-spoon- 
ful). Stir it until the flour assumes a light - brown color ; add 
the soup, and stir all together with the egg-whisk. 

Make force-meat balls as follows: Chop some of the veal 
(used to make the soup), and about a quarter as much suet, 
very fine ; season it with salt and pepper, and a few drops of 
lemon -juice; bind all together with some raw yolks of eggs 
and some cracker or bread crumbs ; mold them into little balls 
about the size of a pigeon's Qgg, or smaller, if preferred. Fry 
them in boiling lard, or boil them two or three minutes in 
water. Cut up also some of the meat, or rather skin and car- 
tilaginous substance, from the cold feet, which resembles turtle 
meat. Now put into the soup-tureen these meat-balls, pieces of 
calf's feet, and some yolks entire, or slices of hard-boiled eggs. 
Season the soup the last minute with a little lemon-juice and 
one or two table-spoonfuls of sherry. 

For a small family, this will make soup enough for two din- 
ners. 

Gumbo Soup. 

Ingredients : One large chicken ; one and a half pints of 
green gumbo, or one pint of dried gumbo ; three pints of wa- 
ter; pepper and salt. 



93 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Cut the chickens into joints, roll them in flour, and fry or 
saute them in a little lard. Take out the pieces of chicken, 
and put in the sliced gumbo (either the green or the dried), 
and saute that also until it is brown. Drain well the chicken's 
and gumbo. There should be about a table-spoonful of brown 
fat left in the saute pan ; to this add a large table - spoonful of 
browned flour ; then add the three pints of water, the chicken, 
cut into small pieces, and the gumbo. Simmer all together two 
hours. Strain through a colander. Serve boiled rice in anoth- 
er dish by the side of the soup - tureen. Having put a ladlef ul 
of the soup in the soup - plate, place a table - spoonful of rice in 
the centre. 

Gumbo and Tomato Soup. 

If canned gumbo and tomatoes mixed are used, merely add 
to them a pint or more of stock or strong beef broth. Bring 
them to the boiling-point, and season with pepper and salt. 

If the fresh vegetables are used, boil the tomatoes and gumbo 
together for about half an hour, first frying the gumbo in a lit- 
tle hot lard. Many, however, boil the gumbo without frying. 

MuLLAGATAWNY Soup {an Indian soup). 

Cut up a chicken; put it into a soup -kettle, with a little 
sliced onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and three or four cloves. 
Cover it with four quarts of water. Add any pieces of veal, 
with the bones, you may have ; of course, a knuckle of veal 
would be the proper thing. When the pieces of chicken are 
nearly done, take them out, and trim them neatly, to serve with 
the soup. Let the veal continue to simmer for three hours. 

Now fry an onion, a small carrot, and a stick of celery 
sliced, in a little butter. When they are a light brown, throw 
in a table - spoonful of flour; stir it on the fire one or two 
minutes ; then add a good tea-spoonful of curry powder, and 
the chicken and veal broth. Place this on the fire to sim- 
mer the usual way for an hour. Half an hour before dinner, 
strain the soup, skim off all the fat, return it to the fire with 
the pieces of chicken, and two or three table - spoonfuls of 
boiled rice. This will give time enough to cook the chickens 
thoroughly. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 93 



Oyster Soup. 

To one quart, or twenty-five oysters, add a half pint of wa- 
ter. Put the oysters on the fire in the liquor. The moment 
it begins to simmer (not boil, for that would shrivel the oys- 
ters), pour it through a colander into a hot dish, leaving the oys- 
ters in the colander. Now put into the saucepan two ounces 
of butter (size of an egg) ; when it bubbles, sprinkle in a table- 
spoonful (one ounce) of sifted flour; let the roux cook a few 
moments, stirring it well with the egg -whisk; then add to it 
gradually the oyster-juice, and half a pint of good cream (which 
has been brought to a boil in another vessel) ; season carefully 
with Cayenne pepper and salt ; skim well, then add the oys- 
ters. Do not let it boil, but serve immediately. An oyster 
soup is made with thickening ; an oyster stew is made without 
it (see receipt). 

Oyster crackers and pickles are often served with an oyster 
soup. 

Clam Soup. 

To extract the clams from the shells, wash them in cold wa- 
ter, and put them all into a large pot over the fire, containing 
half a cupful of boiling water; cover closely, and the steam 
will cause the clams to open ; pour all into a colander over a 
pan, and extract the meat from the shells. 

Put a quart of the clams with their liquor on the fire, wdth 
a pint of water ; boil them about three minutes, during which 
time skim them well, then strain them. Beard them, and re- 
turn the liquor to the fire, with the hard portions of the clams 
(keeping the soft portions aside in a warm place), half an 
onion (one ounce), a sprig of thyme, three or four sprigs of 
parsley, and one large blade of mace ; cover it, and let it sim- 
mer for half an hour. 

In the mean time make a roux, i. e., put three ounces of but- 
ter (size of an egg) into a stew-pan, and when it bubbles sprin- 
kle in two ounces of flour (one heaping table-spoonful) ; stir it 
on the fire until cooked, and then stir in gradually a pint of hot 
cream ; add this to the clam liquor (strained), with a seasoning 
of salt and a little Cayenne pepper ; also the soft clams, without 



94 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

chopping tliem. When well mixed, and thoroughly hot (with- 
out boiling), serve immediately. 

Bean Soup. 

Soak a quart of navy beans overnight. Then put them on 
the fire, with three quarts of water ; three onions, fried or 
sauted in a little butter ; one little carrot ; two potatoes, part- 
ly boiled in other water ; a small cut of pork ; a little red pep- 
per, and salt. Let it all boil slowly for five or six hours. 
Pass it then through a colander or sieve. Return the pulp 
to the fire; season properly with salt and Cayenne pepper. 
Put into the tureen croutons, or bread, cut in half -inch squares, 
and fried brown on all sides in a little butter or in boiling fat. 
Professor Blot adds broth, bacon, onions, celery, one or two 
cloves, and carrot to his bean soup. A French cook I once 
had added a little mustard to her bean soup, which made a 
pleasant change. Another cook adds cream at the last mo- 
ment. Or, 

A very good bean soup can be made from the remains of 
baked beans ; the brown baked beans giving it a good color. 
Merely add water and a bit of onion ; boil it to a pulp, and 
pass it through the colander. 

If a little stock, or some bones or pieces of fresh meat are 
at hand, they add also to the flavor of bean soup. 

Bean and Tomato Soup. 
A pint of canned tomatoes, boiled, and passed through the 
sieve, with a quart of bean soup, makes a very pleasant change. 

Onion Soup (Soupe a VOgnon). 

A soup without meat, and delicious. 

I was taught how to make this soup by a Frenchwoman; 
and it will be found a valuable addition to one's culinary knowl- 
edge. It is a good Friday soup. 

Put into a saucepan butter size of a pigeon's Qgg. Clarified 
grease, or the cakes of fat saved from the top of stock, or soup 
(I always use the latter), answer about as well. When very hot, 
add two or three large onions, sliced thin ; stir, and cook them 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 95 

well until they are red ; then add a full half -tea-cupful of flour. 
Stir this also until it is red, watching it constantly, that it 
does not burn. Now pour in about a pint of boiling water, 
and add pepper and salt. Mix it well, and let it boil a minute ; 
then pour it into the soup-kettle, and place it at the back of 
the range until almost ready to serve. Add then one and 
a half pints or a quart of boiling milk, and two or three well- 
mashed boiled potatoes. Add to the potatoes a little of the 
soup at first, then more, until they are smooth, and thin enough 
to put into the soup-kettle. Stir all well and smoothly togeth- 
er ; taste, to see if the soup is properly seasoned with pepper 
and salt, as it requires plenty, especially of the latter. Let it 
simmxcr a few moments. Put pieces of toasted bread (a good 
way of using dry bread), cut in diamond shape, in the bottom 
of the tureen. Pour over the soup, and serve very hot. Or, 

This soup might be made without potatoes, if more conven- 
ient, using more flour, and all milk instead of a little water. 
However, it is better with the potato addition ; or it is much 
improved by adding stock instead of water ; or, if one should 
chance to have a boiled chicken, the water in which it was 
boiled might be saved to make this soup. 

Vegetable Soup without Meat {Puree aux Legumes). 

Cut up a large plateful of any and all kinds of vegetables 
one happens to have ; for example, onions, carrots, potatoes 
(boiled in other water), beans (of any kind), parsnips, celery, 
pease, parsley, leeks, turnips, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, etc., 
always having either potatoes or beans for a thickening. First 
put .into a saucepan half a tea-cupful of butter (clarified suet 
or stock-pot fat is just as good). When it is very hot, put in 
first the cut-up onions. Stir them well, to prevent from burn- 
ing. When they assume a fine red color, stir in a large table- 
spoonful of flour until it has the same color. Now stir in a 
pint of hot water, and some pepper and salt. Mind not to add 
pepper and salt at first, as the onions and flour would then 
more readily burn. Add, also, all the other vegetables. Let 
them simmer (adding more hot water when necessary) for two 
hours; then press them through a colander. Return them to 



96 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the range in a soup-kettle, and let them simmer until the mo- 
ment of serving. 

Corn Soup. 

This is a very good soup, made with either fresh or canned 
corn. When it is fresh, cut the corn from the cob, and scrape 
off well all that sweetest part of the corn which remains on the 
cob. To a pint of corn add a quart of hot water. Boil it for 
an hour or longer ; then press it through the colander. Put 
into the saucepan butter the size of a small Q^g^ and when it 
bubbles sprinkle in a heaping table-spoonful of sifted flour, 
which cook a minute, stirring it well. Now add half of the 
corn pulp, and, when smoothly mixed, stir in the remainder of 
the corn : add Cayenne pepper, salt, a scant pint of boiling 
milk, and a cupful of cream. 

This soup is very nice with no more addition, as it will have 
the pure taste of the corn ; yet many add the yolks of two 
eggs just before serving, mixed with a little milk or cream, and 
not allowed to boil. Others add a table-spoonful of tomato 
catsup. 

Tomato Soup, with Rice. 

Cut half a small onion into rather coarse slices, and fry them 
in a little hot butter in a saute pan. Add to them then a quart 
can, or ten or eleven large tomatoes cut in pieces, after having 
skinned them, and also two sprigs of parsley. Let it cook 
about ten minutes, when remove the pieces of onion and pars- 
ley. Pass the tomato through a sieve. Put into the stew-pan 
butter the size of a pigeon's Qgg^ and when it bubbles sprinkle 
in a tea-spoonful of flour ; when it has cooked a minute, stir in 
the tomato pulp : season with pepper and salt. It is an im- 
provement to add a cupful or more of stock ; however, if it is 
not at hand, it may be omitted. 

Return the soup to the fire, and, when quite hot, add a cup- 
ful of fresh-boiled rice and half a tea-spoonful of soda. 

Tomato Soup {Puree aux Tomates). — Mrs. Corhett. 
Boil a dozen or a can of tomatoes until they are very thor- 
oughly cooked, and press them through a sieve. To a quart 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 97 

of tomato pulp add a tea-spoonful of soda. Put into a saucepan 
butter the size of a pigeon's egg, and when it bubbles sprinkle 
and stir in a heaping tea-spoonful of flour. When it is cooked, 
stir into this a pint of hot milk, a little Cayenne pepper, salt, 
and a handful of cracker crumbs. When it boils, add the to- 
mato pulp. Heat it well without boiling, and serve immediately. 
The soda mixed with the tomatoes prevents the milk from 
curdling. 

Sorrel Soup {Soupe a la Bonne Femme). 

This is a most wholesome soup, which would be popular in 
America if it were better known. It is much used in France. 
Sorrel can be obtained, in season, at all the French markets in 
America. 

For four quarts of soup, put into a saucepan a piece of butter 
the size of vm egg, two or three sprigs of parsley, two or three 
leaves of kttuce, one onion, and a pint of sorrel (all finely 
chopped), a little nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Cover, and let 
thenj cook or sweat ten minutes ; then add about two table- 
spooLfuls of flour. Mix well, and gradually add three quarts 
of boiling water (stock would be better). Make a liaison, i. e., 
beat the yolks of four eggs (one egg to a quart of soup), and 
mix with them a cupful of cream or rich milk. 

Add a littk chevril (if you have it) to the soup ; let it boil 
ten minutes ; then stir in the eggs, or liaison, when the soup is 
quite ready. 

Potato Soup (No. 1). 

Fry seven or eight potatoes and a small sliced onion in a 
saute pan in some butter or drippings — stock -pot fat is most 
excellent for this purpose. When they are a little colored, 
put them into two or three pints of hot water (stock would, of 
course, be better ; yet hot water is oftenest used) ; add also a 
large heaping table - spoonful of chopped parsley. Let it boil 
until the potatoes are quite soft. Put all through the colan- 
der. Return the puree to the fire, and let it simmer two or 
three minutes. When just ready to serve, take the kettle off 
the fire ; add plenty of salt and pepper, and the beaten yolks of 
two or three eggs. Do not let the soup boil when the eggs are 
in, as they would curdle. 

5 



98 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 



Potato Soup (No. 2). 

A very good soup for one which seems to have nothing in it. 

Peel and cut up four rather large potatoes. When they are 
nearly done, pour off the water, and add one quart of hot wa- 
ter. Boil two hours, or until the potatoes are thoroughly dis- 
solved in the water. Add fresh boiling water as it boils away. 
When done, run it through the colander, adding three - fourths 
of a cupful of hot cream, a large table - spoonful of finely cut 
parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring it to the boiling-point, and 
serve. 

Puree of String-beans. 

Make a strong stock as follows : Add to a knuckle of veal 
three quarts of water, a generous slice of salt pork, and two or 
three slices of onion. Let it simmer for five hours, then pour 
it through a sieve or colander into a jar. It is better to make 
this stock the day before it is served, as then every particle of 
fat may be easily scraped off the jelly. 

Ten minutes before dinner, put into a saucepan two ounces 
of butter, and when it bubbles sprinkle in four ounces of flour 
(two heaping table - spoonfuls) ; let it cook without taking col- 
or ; then add a cupful of hot cream, a pint of the heated stock, 
and about a pint of green string-bean pulp, i. e., either fresh or 
canned string-beans boiled tender with a little pork, then press- 
ed through a colander, and freed from juice. After mixing all 
together, do not let the soup boil, or it will curdle and spoil. 
Stir it constantly while it is on the fire. 

Just before it is sent to table, sprinkle over the top a handful 
of little fried fritter-beans. They are made by dropping drops of 
fritter batter into boiling lard. They will resemble navy-beans, 
and give a very pleasant flavor and appearance to the soup. 

If this pretty addition be considered too much trouble, little 
dice of fried bread {croutons) may be added instead. The soup 
should be rather thick, and served quite hot. 

Bisque of Lobsters. 

This soup is made exactly like the puree of string-beans, with 
the veal stock and thickened cream, except that, in place of the 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 99 

string-bean pulp, the soup is now flavored and colored with the 
coral of lobster, dried in the oven, and pounded fine. This gives 
it a beautiful pink color. Little dice of the boiled lobster are 
then to be added. The lobster -dice may or may not be mari- 
nated before they are added to the soup, i. e., sprinkled with a 
mixture of one table - spoonful of oil, three table - spoonfuls of 
vinegar, pepper, and salt, and left for two or three hours in the 
marinade. Season the soup with pepper and salt. 



FISH. 



If a fish is not perfectly fresh, perfectly cleaned, and thor- 
oughly cooked, it is not eatable. It should be cleaned or drawn 
as soon as it comes from market, then put on the ice until the 
time of cooking. It should not be soaked, for it impairs the 
flavor, unless it is frozen, when it should be put into ice-cold 
water to thaw ; or unless it is a salted fish, when it may be soak- 
ed overnight. 

The greatest merit of a fish is freshness. The secret of the 
excellence of the fish at the Saratoga Lake House, where they 
have famous trout dinners, is that, as they are raised on the 
premises, they go almost immediately from the pond to the 
fish-kettle. One is to be pitied who has not tasted fish at the 
sea-shore, where fishermen come in just before dinner, with bas- 
kets filled with blue-fish, flounders, etc., fresh from the water. 

A long, oval fish-kettle (page 52) is very convenient for fry- 
ing or boiling fish. It has a strainer to fit, in which the fish is 
placed, enabling it to be taken from the kettle without break- 
ing. A fish is sufficiently cooked when the meat separates 
easily from the bones. When the fish is quite done, it should 
be left no longer in the kettle ; it will lose its flavor. 

It makes a pleasant change to cook fish "au gratiny It is 
a simple operation, but little attempted in America. I would 
recommend this mode of cooking for eels, or the Western 
white-fish. 

A fish is most delicious fried in olive-oil. A friend told me 
he purchased olive-oil by the keg, for cooking purposes. It is, 



100 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

of course, expensive, and lard or beef drippings answer very- 
well. I would recommend, also, frying fish by immersion. 

If a fish is to be served whole, do not cut off the head and 
tail. It also presents a better appearance to stand the fish on 
its bellj rather than lay it on its side. 

To Boil Fish. 

All fish but salmon (which is put into warm water to pre- 
serve its color) should be placed in salted cold water, with a 
little vinegar or lemon-juice in it, to boil. It should then boil 
very, very gently, or the outside will break before the inside is 
done. It requires a little experience to know exactly how long 
to boil a fish. It must never be underdone ; yet it must be 
taken from the water as soon as it is thoroughly done, or 
it will become insipid, watery, and colorless. It will require 
about eight minutes to the pound for large, thick fish, and 
about five minutes to the pound for thin fish, after the water 
begins to simmer, using only enough water to cover it. When 
done, drain it well before the fire. The fresh -water, or any 
kind of fish which have no decided flavor, are much better 
boiled au court bouillon, or with onions and carrots (sliced), 
parsley, two or three cloves, pepper, salt, vinegar, or wine — any 
or all of these added to the water. The sea -fish, or such as 
have a flavor prononce, can be boiled in simple salted and acid- 
ulated water. 

If you have no fish-kettle, and wish to boil a fish, arrange it 
in a circle on a plate, with an old napkin around it : when it 
is done, it can be carefully lifted from the kettle by the cloth, 
so that it will not be broken. When cuts of fish are boiled, 
you allow the water to just come to a boil ; then remove the 
kettle to the back of the range, so that it will only simmer. 

Always serve a sauce with a boiled fish, such as drawn but- 
ter, Qgg^ caper, pickle, shrimp, oyster, Hollandaise, or piquante 
sauce. 

To Boil au Court Bouillon. 

Among professional cooks, a favorite way of boiling a fish 
is in water saturated with vegetables, called court bouillon; 
consequently, a fish cooked in this manner would be called, for 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 101 



instance, " Pike, au court bouillon:' It is rather a pity this 
way of cooking has a French name ; however, if one is not un- 
duly scared at that, one can see how simple it is. 

Dubois's Eeceipt— Mince a carrot, an onion, and a small 
piece of celery ; fry them in a little butter, in a stew-pan ; add 
some parsley, some pepper -corns, and three or four cloves. 
Now pour on two quarts of hot water and a pint of vinegar. 
Let it boil a quarter of an hour ; skim it, salt it, and use it'f or 
boiling the fish. 

It is improved by using white or red wine instead of vine- 
gar ; only use then three parts of wine to one of water. These 
stocks are easily preserved, and may be used several times. 

To boil the fish : Rub the fish with lemon-juice and salt, put 
it in a kettle, and cover it with court bouillon. Let it only 
simmer, not boil hard, until thoroughly done. Serve the fish 
on a napkin, surrounded with parsley. Serve a caper, pickle, 
or any kind of fish sauce, in a sauce-boat. 

To Fry Fish. 

By frying fish I mean that it is to be immersed in hot lard, 
beef drippings, or olive-oil. Let there be a little more fat than 
will cover the fish ; otherwise it is liable to stick to the bottom 
and burn. Do not put in the fish until the fat is tested, and 
found to be quite hot. If the fat were not hot enough, the 
fish would absorb some of it, making it greasy and unwhole- 
some. If it is hot enough, the fish will absorb nothing at all. 

To prepare fish for frying, dredge them first with flour ; 
then brush them with beaten egg, and roll them in fine or 
sifted bread, or cracker crumbs. When they are browned on 
one side, turn them over in the hot fat. When done, let them 
drain quite dry. 

Cutlets of any large fish are particularly nice egged and 
bread-crumbed, fried, and served with tomato sauce or slices of 
lemon. 

Fish Fried in Batter. 

Cut almost any kind of fish in fillets or pieces one-fourth of 
an inch thick, and one or two inches square ; only be careful 
to have them all of the same shape and size. Sprinkle them 




103 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

with pepper and salt, and roll each one in batter (No. 2, page 

98). Fry them in boiling- 
lard. Arrange them tasteful- 
ly in a circle, one overlapping 
the other. Garnish with fresh 
or fried parsley. Potatoes a 
la Parisienne may be piled in 
the centre, and sauce Tar tare (see page 128) served separate- 
ly in a sauce-boat. 

To Broil Fish. 
The same rule applies to broiling fish as to every thing else. 
If the fish is small, it requires a clear, hot fire. If the fish is 
large, the fire must be moderate ; otherwise the outside of the 
fish would be burned before the inside is cooked. Many rub 
the fish over with olive-oil ; others split a large fish ; still oth- 
ers broil it whole, and cut notches at equal distances across its 
sides. When you wish to turn the fish, separate carefully with 
a knife any part of it which sticks to the gridiron ; then, hold- 
ing a platter over the fish with one hand, turn the gridiron over 
with the other, leaving the fish on the platter : it will now be 
a more easy matter to turn it without breaking. As soon as 
the fish is done, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and spread but- 
ter all over it with a knife. Set it in the oven a moment, so 
that the butter may soak in the fish. This is the most com- 
mon way of seasoning it. It is almost as easy to first sprinkle 
pepper and salt, then a few drops of lemon-juice, over the fish ; 
then a table-spoonful of parsley, chopped fine ; then some melt- 
ed butter over all. Put it a moment in the oven to soak. They 
call this a maltre-d^ hotel sauce. Quite simple, is it not ? It is 
especially nice for a broiled shad. 

To Bake Fish. 
When cleaning the fish, do not cut off the head and tail. 
Stuff it. Two or three receipts are given for the stuflfing. 
Sew it, or confine the stuffing by winding the cord several times 
around the fish. Lay several pieces of pork, cut in strings, 
across the top; sprinkle over water, pepper, salt, and bread- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 103 

crumbs ; put some hot water into the pan ; bake in a hot oven, 
basting very often. When done (the top should be nicely 
browned), serve a sauce with it. The best fishes to bake are 
white-fish, blue -fish, shad, etc. If not basted very often, a 
baked fish will be very dry. For this reason, an ordinary cook 
should never bake a fish. I believe, however, they never cook 
them in any other way. 



STUFFINGS FOR FISH. 
Bread Stuffing. 

Soak half a pound of bread-crumbs in water; when the 
bread is soft, press out all the water. Fry two table-spoonfuls 
of minced onion in some butter ; add the bread, some chopped 
parsley, a table-spoonful of chopped suet, and pepper and salt. 
Let it cook a moment ; take it off the fire, and add an Qgg. 

Meat Stuffing. 

This stuffing is best made with veal, and almost an equal 
quantity of bacon chopped fine. Put in a quarter of its vol- 
ume of white softened bread-crumbs, pressed out well ; add a 
little chopped onion, parsley, or mushrooms ; season highly. 

If the fish should be baked with wine, this dressing can be 
used, viz. : 

Soak about three slices of bread. When the water is well 
pressed out, season it with salt, a little cayenne, a little mace, 
and moisten it with port - wine or sherry ; add the juice and 
the grated rind of half a lemon. 

To Bake a Fish with Wine {Mrs. Samuel Treat). 
Stuff a fish with the following dressing. Soak some bread 
in water, squeeze it dry, and add an Ggg well beaten. Season it 
with pepper, salt, and a little parsley or thyme ; grease the bak- 
ing-pan (one just the right size for holding the fish) with but- 
ter ; season the fish on top, and put it into the pan with about 
two cups of boiling water ; baste it well, adding more boiling 
water when necessary. About twenty minutes before serving, 
pour over it a cup of sour wine, and a small piece of butter 



104 FJiACTJCAL COOKING, AND BINNEB GIVING. 

(Mrs. Treat adds also two or three table - spoonfuls of Worces- 
tershire sauce mixed with the wine — of course, this may be 
left out if more convenient) ; put half a lemon, sliced, into 
the gravy ; baste the fish again well. When it is thoroughly 
baked, remove it from the pan ; garnish the top with the slices 
of lemon ; finish the sauce in the baking - dish by adding a 
little butter rubbed to a paste in some flour ; strain, skim, and 
serve it in a sauce-boat. 

To Stew Fish, or Fish en Matelote. 
Cut the fish transversely into pieces about an inch or an inch 
and a half long; sprinkle salt on them, and let them remain 
while you boil two or three onions (sliced) in a very little water ; 
pour off this water when the onions are cooked, and add to 
them pepper, about a tea-cupful of hot water, and a tea-cupful 
of wine if it is claret or white wine, and two or three table- 
spoonfuls if it is sherry or port : now add the fish. When it 
begins to simmer, throw in some little balls of butter which 
have been rolled in flour. Wlien the fish is thoroughly cook- 
ed, serve it very hot. This is a very good manner of cooking 
any fresh-water fish. 

Fish is much better stewed with some wine. Of course, it is 
quite possible to stew fish without it, in which case add a little 
parsley. 

To Cook Fish au Gratin. 
This is a favorite manner with the French of cooking fish. 
The fish is served in the same dish in which it is cooked. It is 

called a gratin dish — general- 
ly an oval silver-plated platter, 
or it may be of block-tin. A 
fish au gratin is rather expen- 
sive, on account of the mush- 
rooms ; however, the French 
canned mushrooms {champignons) are almost as good as fresh 
ones, and are much cheaper. 

Receipt. — First put into a saucepan butter size of an &^g, then 
a handful of shallots, or one large onion minced fine ; let it cook 
ten minutes, when mix in half a cupful of flour ; then mince 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 105 



three-fourths of a cupful of mushrooms. Add a tea-cupful of 
hot water (or better, stock) to the saucepan, then a glass of 
white or red wine, salt, and pepper. After mixing them well, 
add the minced mushrooms and a little minced parsley. Skin 
the fish, cut off the head and tail, split it in two, laying bare 
the middle bone ; slip the knife under the bone, removing it 
smoothly. Now cut the fish in pieces about an inch long. 
Moisten the gratin dish with butter, arrange the cuts of fish 
tastefully on it, pour over the sauce, then sprinkle the whole 
with bread-crumbs which have been dried and grated. Put 
little pieces of butter over all, and bake. The dish may be gar- 
nished with little diamonds of fried or toasted and buttered 
bread around the edge. Or, 

This is a pretty dish au gratin : Put mashed potatoes (which 
must be still hot when arranged) in a circle on the outside of 
the gratin dish, then a row of the pieces of fish (which have 
been cooked as just described) around the middle of the dish, 
or just inside the potatoes. Put some mashed potatoes also in 
the middle of the dish. Garnish here and there with mush- 
rooms. Pour the sauce just described and bread-crumbs over 
the fish, and bake five or ten minutes. 

Fish a la CufiME {Mrs. Audenreid). 

Boil a fish weighing four pounds in salted water. When 
done, remove the skin, and flake it, leaving out the bones. 
Boil one quart of rich milk. Mix butter size of a small egg 
with three table-spoonfuls of flour, and stir it smoothly in the 
milk,^ adding also two or three sprigs of parsley and half an 
onion chopped fine, a little Cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir it 
over the fire until it has thickened. 

Butter a gratin dish. Put in first a layer of fish, then of 
dressing, and continue in alternation until all the fish is used, 
with dressing on top. Sprinkle sifted bread-crumbs over the 
top. Bake half an hour. Garnish with parsley and slices of 
hard-boiled egg. 

As the rules for boiling, broiling, frying, cooking au gratin, 
and stewing are the same for nearly all kinds of fish, I will not 

5* 



106 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

repeat the receipts for each particular one. I will only suggest 
the best manner for cooking certain kinds, and will add certain 
receipts not under the general rule : 

SALMON 

is undoubtedly best boiled. The only exception to the rule of 
boiling fish is in the case of salmon, which must be put in hot 
instead of cold water, to preserve its color. A favorite way of 
boiling a whole salmon is in the form of a letter S, as in plate. 




It is done as follows: Thread a trussing -needle with some 
twine ; tie the end of the string around the head, fastening it 
tight ; then pass the needle through the centre part of the body, 
draw the string tight, and fasten it around the tail. The fish 
will assume the desired form. 

For parties or evening companies, salmon boiled in this form 
(middle cuts are also used), served cold, with a Mayonnaise 
sauce poured over, is a favorite dish. It is then generally 
mounted in style, on an oval or square block pedestal, three 
or four inches high, made of bread (two or three days old), 
called a croustade, carved in any form with a sharp knife. It 
is then fried a light-brown in boiling lard. Oftener these crou- 
stades are made of wood, which are covered with white paper, 
and brushed over with a little half-set aspic jelly. The salmon 
is then decorated with squares of aspic jelly. A decoration of 
quartered hard-boiled eggs or of cold cauliflower -blossoms is 
very pretty, and is palatable also with the Mayonnaise sauce. 
The best sauces for a boiled salmon served hot are the sauce 
Hollandaise, lobster, shrimp, or oyster sauces — the sauce Hol- 
landaise being the favorite. 

If lobster sauce is used, the coral of the lobster is dried, and 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



lo; 




sprinkled over the fish, reserving some with which to color the 
sauce, as in receipt for lobster sauce (see page 122). 

If shrimp sauce is used, some whole shrimps should be saved 
for decorating the dish. 

In decorating salmon, as well as any other kind of fish, pota- 
toes cut in little balls, and placed like little piles of cannon-balls 
around the dish, 
are pretty. The 
potatoes should 
be simply boiled - - 
in salted water. ^ 
An alternate pile 
of button mush- 
rooms are pretty, and good also. Parsley or any pretty leaves 
around a dish always give a fresh and tasteful appearance. Or, 
An exceedingly pretty garnish for a large fish is one of 
smelts (in rings, see receipt, page 111) fried in boiling lard. 
In this case, add slices of lemon. Still another pretty garnish 
is of fried oysters or fried parsley, or both. 

It is quite appropriate to serve a middle cut of salmon at a 

dinner: 1st, because 
it is the best cut ; 
2d, because it is eas- 
ier and cheaper to 
serve ; and, 3d, be- 
cause one never cares 
to supply more than 
is necessary. This cut is better slowly boiled, also, in the acid- 
ulated salted water. 

To Broil Salmon. 

Take two slices of salmon cut from the middle of the fish, 
sprinkle over a little lemon -juice, Cayenne pepper, salt, and 
salad-oil. Let it then remain for half an hour. Rub the grid- 
iron well with beef -suet or pork. As it is a nice matter to broil 
salmon without burning, it would be well to wrap it in buttered 
or oiled paper just before broiling. Serve a maitre-d' hotel, 
pickle, caper, anchovy, or a horse-radish sauce. 




108 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Salmon Cutlets. 

Remove the skin and bone from some slices of salmon one- 
third of an inch thick ; trim them into cutlet shape ; sprinkle 
on pepper, salt, and flour, and dip them into beaten eggs mixed 
with a little chopped parsley or onion ; then bread-crumb them. 
Fry them in boiling lard. This is the better way, or they may 
be fried or sauted in butter in a saute pan. Arrange the 
pieces one over the other in a circle. Pour a pickle, or Tartare 
sauce, in the centre. 

Slices of Salmon Boiled. 
If a family is small, and it should not be advisable to buy a 
large middle cut of salmon, it would be preferable to buy, for 
instance, two slices. Boil them very slowly in acidulated salted 
water, or in the court bouillon with wine. Serve them with pars- 
ley between, and a napkin underneath. Serve a sauce Hollandaise 
in the sauce-boat. 

Canned Salmon. 

The California canned salmon is undoubtedly one of the 
greatest successes in canning. By keeping a few cans in the 
house, one is always ready in any emergency to produce a fine 
dish of salmon in a few minutes. It is particularly nice for a 
breakfast - dish, heated, seasoned with pepper and salt, placed 
on thin slices of buttered toast, with a cream dressing poured 
over all, ^. e., milk thickened on the fire, by stirring it into a 
roux (see page 51) of butter and flour, and seasoned with pep- 
per, salt, and a few pieces of fresh butter just before serving. 
For dinner it is excellent served with any of the fish sauces. 
Salmon is also nice served in shells, as for trout (see page 109). 

SHAD. # 
This delicious fish is undoubtedly best broiled, with a maitre- 
d'hotel sauce ; but it is good also cut in slices, and sauted. 

TROUT. 
If large, they may be broiled, boiled, or baked. If boiled or 
broiled, serve the sauce Hollandaise with them. Professional 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 109 

cooks generally boil it in the court bouillon. Smaller trout are 
better egged, rolled in salted corn-meal, and thrown into boil- 
ing lard. 

The trout is a very nice fish for an au gratin^ or stewed, call- 
ed then en matelote. 

Trout in Cases or in Shells (en Coquilles). 

Parboil little trout ; cut the fish into pieces about an inch 
long, or into dice ; place them in paper cases (which have been 
buttered or oiled, and placed in the oven a few moments to 
harden the paper so as to enable it to hold the sauce). After 
partly filling the cases with the pieces of fish, pour over them 
some fine herb sauce (see page 128), and sprinkle over bread- 
crumbs ; put them into the oven twenty minutes before dinner 
to bake. 

If shells are used, little plated-silver ones (scallop shells) are 
preferable. In that case, it would be better to fry the fish 
(seasoned with pepper, salt, and a little lemon-juice) in a saute 
pan ; cut them in dice afterward, and put them in the shells ; 
pour over a fine herb or a Bechamel sauce ; strew the top with 
grated bread-crumbs; place them a few moments in the oven 
to brown the tops, and serve. 

COD-FISH. 

Fresh cod-fish is better boiled. The fish is so large that it 
is generally boiled in slices. After it is well salted, horse-rad- 
ish and vinegar in the boiling water will improve the fish. 
Oyster-sauce is the favorite sauce for a boiled cod-fish. Capers 
might be mixed with the oyster-sauce. Some serve the fish 
with the sauce poured over it. Any of the fish sauces may be 
served with fresh cod-fish. These slices may also be broiled 
and served with a maitre-d' hotel sauce, or they may be egged 
and bread-crumbed, and fried in boiling lard. 

Crimped Cod-fish (Mudmanii). 
Soak two slices of cod-fish one inch thick for two hours in 
ice-water ; put them into the stew-pan, and, pouring over enough 
salted boiling water to cover them, let them simmer for about ten 



110 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

minutes ; place them neatly on a platter on a folded napkin, 
garnish with parsley, and pour into the two cavities a Tartare 
or a pickle sauce. 

Salt Cod-fish. 

Soak this in water overnight ; parboil it, changing the water 
once or twice ; separate the flakes. Serve them on thin slices 
of toast, with an Qgg sauce poured over. Or, 

Mince it when boiled in very little water, which should be 
changed once; thicken it with butter and flour mixed; cook 
about two minutes, then break in several eggs. When the eggs 
are cooked and mixed with the fish, pour all on thin slices of 
buttered toast. 

Cod-fish Balls. 

Cut the cod-fish in pieces ; soak them about an hour in luke- 
warm water, when the bones and skin may be easily removed ; 
pull the fish then into fine shreds, and put it on the stove in some 
cold water. As soon as it begins to boil, change the water, and 
repeat this process a second time. It is not proper to boil it, 
as it renders it tough. As soon as the fish is ready, some po- 
tatoes must be cooked at the same 
time, i. e., boiled tender, and well- 
mashed while still hot, with a lit- 
tle butter added. Mix half as 
much cod-fish as potatoes while 
both are still hot. Form them 
into little balls or thick flat cakes. Fry them in a little hot 
butter in a saute pan, or immerse them in boiling-hot lard. It 
makes all the difference in the flavor of the balls if the fish and 
potatoes are mixed while both are hot. Of course, they are bet- 
ter fried at once, but may be made the night before serving (at 
breakfast), if they are only properly mixed. 

Fish Chowder. 

Cut three pounds of any kind of fresh fish (cod-fish is espe- 
cially good), one and a half pounds of potatoes, and one large 
onion (three ounces) into slices ; also, half a pound of salt pork 
into half-inch squares or dice. 

Put the pork and onions into a saucepan, and fry them a 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. Ill 

light brown ; then add a cupful of claret ; and when it boils 
take it from the fire. 

Butter a large stew-pan, and put in first a layer of potatoes, 
then a layer of fish, then a sprinkle of onions and pork (strain- 
ed from the claret), pepper and salt, and continue these alterna- 
tions until it is all in, having the potatoes on top. Now pour 
the claret over the top, and barely cover the whole with boil- 
ing water. Cover closely, and let it simmer for fifteen minutes 
without disturbing it. 

In the mean time, bring a pint of milk (or, better, cream) to 
a boil, take it from the fire, and cut into it three ounces of but- 
ter, and break in three ship-crackers. Arrange the slices of fish 
and potatoes in the shape of a dome in the centre of a hot plat- 
ter. Place the softened crackers (skimmed from the milk) over 
the top, and pour over the milk. Serve very hot. 

Small Pan-fish {Perch, Sun-fish, etc.). 
They are generally preferred peppered, salted, then rolled in 
salted corn -meal, and fried either in a saute pan with a little 
lard and some slices of pork, or in boiling lard. They make 
also a good stew en matelote, or a good au gratin. Their chief 
excellence consists in their being perfectly fresh, and served hot. 

MACKEREL 
should be broiled, and served a la maitre-d''h6tel. 

SMELTS 
are good salted, peppered, and rolled in salted corn-meal or flour, 
and fried in boiling-hot lard, but better egged and bread-crumb- 
ed before frying. They should be served immediately, or they 
will lose their crispness and flavor. When served as a garnish 
for a large fish, they should be fried in the shape of rings. This 
is easily done by putting the tail of the fish into its mouth, and 
holding it with a pin. After it is fried, the pin is withdrawn, as 
the fried fish will hold its shape. Place these rings around the 
fish, with an additional garnish of parsley and lemon slices ; or 
the rings may be served alone in a circle around the side of a 
platter, with a tomato or a Tartare sauce in the centre. 



112 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEU GIVING. 

There can be no prettier manner of serving them alone than 
one often seen in Paris. They are fried in the usual manner ; 
then a little silver or silver-plated skewer four inches long is 
drawn through two or three of the smelts, running it carefully 
through the eyes. One skewerful, with a slice of lemon on top, 
is served for each person at table. If the silver-plated skewers 
are too extravagant, little ones of polished wire will answer. 

Fried Slices of Fish, with Tomato Sauce {Fish a V Orlay). 

Bone and skin the fish, and cut it into even slices ; or if a 
flounder or any flat flsh is used, begin at the tail, and, keeping 
the knife close to the bone, separate each side of the fish neatly 
from it ; then cut each side in two, lengthwise, leaving the fish 
in four long pieces. Remove the skin carefully. After hav- 
ing sprinkled pepper and salt over them, roll each piece first in 
sifted cracker or bread crumbs, then in half a cupful of milk 
mixed with an e^g, and then in the crumbs again. They are 
better fried in a saute pan in a little hot butter ; yet they may 
be sauted in a little hot lard, with some neat slices of pork, or 
fried in boiling lard. 

Pour tomato sauce No. 2 (see page 125) on a hot platter, ar- 
range the pieces of fish symmetrically on it, and serve immedi- 
ately. 

To Fry Eels. 

Skin them, cut them into four-inch lengths, season them with 
salt and pepper, roll them in flour or salted corn-meal, and fry 
them in boiling lard. Some parboil eels and bull-heads, saying 
it removes a muddy taste. I do not think it is necessary. Fried 
eels are generally served with a tomato, a pickle, or a Tartare 
sauce. 

Eels Stewed {London Cooking-school). 

Put three-quarters of a cupful of butter into a stew-pan; 
when hot, add four small onions minced fine, which cook to a 
light -brown color; add then a table - spoonful of flour; when 
well mixed and cooked, add two cupfuls of stock, a wine-glass- 
ful of port -wine, and two bay leaves (the bay leaves may be 
omitted). Now put in the eels (two small ones or one large 
one), cut into pieces one inch long. Cover tightly. 



PHAGTICAL COOKING, AND UINNEU GIVING. 113 

They will be ready to send to the table in about fifteen min- 
utes, served on a hot platter, with a circle around them of toast- 
ed or fried slices of bread {croutons)^ cut diamond-shaped. 



SHELL-FISH. 

OYSTERS. 
Raw Oysters. 

Drain them well in a colander, marinate them, i. e., sprinkle 
over plenty of pepper and salt, and let them remain in a cold 
place for at least half an hour before serving. This makes a 
great difference in their flavor. They may be served in the 
half-shell with quarters or halves of lemons in the same dish. 
I think a prettier arrangement is to serve them in a block of 
ice. Select a ten -pound block; melt with a hot flat-iron a 
symmetrical-shaped cavity in the top to hold the oysters ; chip 
also from the sides at the base, so that the ice-block may stand 
in a large platter on the napkin. When the oysters are well 
salted and peppered, place them in the ice, and let them re- 
main in some place where the ice will not melt until the time 
of serving. The salt will help to make the oysters very cold. 
The ice may be decorated with leaves or smilax vines, and a 
row of lemon quarters or halves may be placed around the 
platter at the base of the ice. It has an especially pretty ef- 
fect served on a table by gas-light. The English often serve 
little thin squares of buttered brown bread (like Boston brown 
bread) with oysters. 

Fried Oysters. 
Drain the oysters in the colander ; sprinkle over pepper and 
salt, which mix well with them, and put them in a cold place 
for fifteen or twenty minutes before cooking. This is mari- 
nating them. When ready to cook, roll each one first in sifted 
cracker-crumbs, then in beaten egg mixed with a little milk and 
seasoned with pepper and salt, then in the cracker-crumbs again. 
You will please remember the routine : Jlrst, the crumbs before 



114 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the egg, as the egg will not adhere well to the oyster without 
the crumbs ; now throw them into boiling - hot lard (as you 
would fry doughnuts), first testing to see if it is hot enough. 
As soon as they assume a light -brown color they should be 
drained, and served immediately on a hot platter. 

Oysters should not be fried until the persons at table are 
ready to eat them, as it takes only a few moments to fry them, 
and they are not good unless very hot. 

The platter of oysters may be garnished with a table-spoon- 
ful of chopped pickles or chowchow placed at the four oppo- 
site sides ; or the oysters may be served as a border around 
cold slaw (see receipt, page 224), when they are an especially 
nice course for dinner ; or they may be served with celery, 
either plain or in salad. As the platter for the fried oysters is 
hot, the celery salad or cold slaw might be piled on a folded 
napkin in the centre. 

Scalloped Oysters in Shells. 

They may be served cooked in their shells, or in silver scal- 
lop shells, when they present a better appearance than when 
cooked and served all in one dish. 

If cooked in an oyster or clam shell, one large, or two or 
three little oysters are placed in it, with a few drops of the 
oyster liquor. It is sprinkled with pepper and salt, and crack- 
er or bread crumbs. Little pieces of butter are placed over the 
top. When all are ready, they are put into the oven. When 
they are plump and hot, they are done. Brown the tops with 
a salamander, or with a red-hot kitchen shovel. 

If they are cooked in the silver scallop shells, which are 
larger, several oysters are served in the one shell ; one or two 
are put in^ peppered, salted, strewed with cracker-crumbs and 
small pieces of butter ; then more layers, until the shell is full, 
or until enough are used for one person. Moisten them with 
the oyster-juice, and strew little pieces of butter over the top. 
They are merely kept in the oven until they are thoroughly 
hot, then browned with a salamander. Serve one shell for each 
person at table, placed on a small plate. The oysters may be 
bearded or not. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 115 



Scalloped Oysters. 

Ingredients : Three dozen oysters, a large tea-cupful of bread 
or cracker crumbs, two ounces of fresh butter, pepper and salt, 
half a tea-cupful of oyster-juice. 

Make layers of these ingredients, as described in the last 
article, in the top of a chafing-dish, or in any kind of pudding 
or gratin dish ; bake in a quick oven about fifteen minutes ; 
brown with a salamander. 

Oyster Stew. 
Put a quart of oysters on the fire in their own liquor. The 
moment they begin to boil, skim them out, and add to the 
liquor a half-pint of hot cream, salt, and Cayenne pepper to 
taste. Skim it well, take it off the fire, add to the oysters an 
ounce and a half of butter broken into small pieces. Serve 
immediately. 

Oyster Soup (see page 93). 

Oyster or Clam Fritters. 

Oysters served on buttered toast for breakfast, or in vols-au- 
vent, silver scallop-shells, or in paper boxes, are very nice made 
after the receipts on page 241). They or the fricasseed oysters 
may be served in either of the above ways. 

Fricassee of Oysters {Oysters a la Boulette). 
Put one quart, or twenty-five, oysters on the fire in their own 
liquor. The moment it begins to boil, turn it into a hot dish 
through a colander, leaving the oysters in the colander. Put 
into the saucepan two ounces of butter (size of an Qgg)^ and 
when it bubbles sprinkle in one ounce (a table-spoonful) of 
sifted fiour ; let it cook a minute without taking color, stirring 
it well with a wire egg-whisk ; then add, mixing well, a cupful 
of the oyster liquor. Take it from the fire and mix in the yolks 
of two eggs, a little salt, a very little Cayenne pepper, one tea- 
spoonful of lemon-juice, and one grating of nutmeg. Beat it 
well ; then return it to the fire to set the eggs, without allowing 
it to boil. Put in the oysters. 



116 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

These oysters may be served on thin slices of toast for break- 
fast or tea, or in papers {en papillote), or as a filling for patties 
for dinner. 

To Roast Canned Oysters. 

Drain them. Put them in a spider which is very hot ; turn 
them in a moment, so that they may cook on both sides. It 
only takes a few seconds to cook them. Put them on a hot 
plate in which there are pepper, salt, and a little hot melted 
butter. They should be served immediately. They have the 
flavor of the oyster roasted in the shell. 

Some cook them in this manner at table on a chafing-dish 
by means of the spirit-lamp. 

Spiced Oysters {Miss Lestlie). 

Ingredients : Two hundred oysters, one pint of vinegar, a 
nutmeg grated, eight blades of whole mace, three dozen whole 
cloves, one tea-spoonful of salt, two tea-spoonfuls of whole all- 
spice, and as much Cayenne pepper as will lie on the point of 
a knife. 

Put the oysters with their liquor into a large earthen vessel ; 
add to them the vinegar and all the other ingredients. Stir all 
well together and set them over a slow fire, keeping them cov- 
ered. Stir them to the bottom several times. As soon as they 
are well scalded, they are done. To be eaten cold. 

CLAMS. 
Clams Cooked with Cream {Mrs. Audenreid). 
Chop fifty small clams not too fine, and season them with 
pepper and salt. Put into a stew-pan butter the size of an 
egg, and when it bubbles sprinkle in a tea-spoonful of flour, 
which cook a few moments; stir gradually into it the clam 
liquor, then the clams, which stew about two or three minutes ; 
then add a cupful of boiling cream, and serve immediately. 
The clams may or may not be bearded. 

Clam Chowder. 
Put fifty clams on the fire in their own liquor, with a little 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 117 

salt. When they have boiled about three minutes, strain them, 
and return the liquor to the fire. Chop a medium-sized onion 
(two ounces) into small pieces, and cut six ounces of pork into 
dice. Fry both a light color in two ounces (size of an e^g) of 
butter ; then stir in three ounces of flour (two table-spoonfuls). 
When thoroughly cooked, add the clam liquor, half a pint of 
good stock or milk, the same quantity of cream, a salt-spoon- 
ful of mace, a salt-spoonful of thyme, salt to taste, and eight 
ounces of potatoes cut into dice. When these are cooked, and 
the chowder is about to be sent to table, add the clams cut in 
dice, and four ounces of ship-bread or crackers broken in pieces. 

TuNisoN Clam Chowder. 
Ingredients : Two hundred soft clams, one large onion, twen- 
ty large crackers, can of tomatoes, parsley (chopped fine), half 
a pound of butter, one large tea-spoonful of sweet marjoram, 
thyme, sage, savory, half a tea -spoonful of ground cloves, and 
half a tea-spoonful of curry. 

Boil well ; then add half a pint of milk and half a pint of 
sherry wine. 

Clam Fritters (see page 230). 

Clam Soup (see page 93). 

CRABS AND LOBSTERS. 
Soft-shell Crabs. 
Dry them ; sprinkle them with pepper and salt ; roll them, 
first in flour, then in Qgg (half a cupful of milk mixed in one 
^gg)i then in cracker-dust, and fry them in boiling lard. 

Deviled Crab. 

When the crabs are boiled, take out the meat and cut it into 
small pieces (dice) ; clean well the shells. 

To six ounces of crab meat, mix two ounces of bread-crumbs, 
two hard-boiled eggs chopped, the juice of half a lemon, Cay- 
enne pepper and salt. Mix all with cream or cream sauce, or, 
what is still better, a Bechamel sauce (see page 127). Fill the 



118 PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

shells with the mixture, smooth the tops, sprinkle over sifted 
bread-crumbs, and color it in a quick oven. 

Deviled Lobster 
is made in the same way as deviled crab, merely substituting 
the lobster for the crab, and adding a grating of nutmeg to the 
seasoning. In boiling lobsters and crabs, they are sufficiently 
cooked when they assume a bright-red color. Too much boil- 
ing renders them tough. 

Lobster Chops. 

Cut half a pound of the flesh of a boiled lobster into small 
dice. Put two ounces of butter into a stew-pan, and when it 
bubbles sprinkle in two ounces of flour (one table-spoonful). 
Cook it ; then pour in a cupful of boiling cream and the lobster 
dice. Stir it until it is scalding hot ; then take it from the fire, 
and, when slightly cooled, stir in the beaten yolks of three eggs, 
a grating of nutmeg, a little Cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. 
Return the mixture to the fire, and stir it long enough to well 
set the eggs. 

Butter a platter, on which spread the lobster mixture half 
an inch deep. When cold, form it into the shape of chops, 
pointed at one end ; bread-crumb, Qg^^ and crumb them again, 
and fry them in boiling lard. Stick a claw into the end of each 
lobster chop after it is cooked. 

Place the chops in a circle, overlapping each other, on a nap- 
kin. Decorate the dish by putting the tail of the lobster in the 
centre, and its head, with the long horns, on the tail. Around 
the outside of the circle of chops arrange the legs, cut an inch 
each side of the middle joints, so that they will form two equal 
sides of a triangle. 

A Good Way to Prepare a Lobster. 
Put into a saucepan butter the size of a small Qgg, and a tea- 
spoonful of minced onion. When it has cooked, sprinkle in a 
tea-spoonful of flour, which cook also ; then stir in one cupful 
of the water in which the lobster was boiled, one cupful of 
milk, one cupful of strong veal or beef stock, pepper, and salt : 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVING. 119 

add the meat of the boiled lobster, and when quite hot pour all 
in the centre of a hot platter. Decorate the dish with the lob- 
ster's head in the centre, fried-bread diamonds {croutons) around 
the outside ; or in any prettier way you choose, with the abun- 
dant resources of lobster legs and trimmings. 

FROGS. 

Frogs are such a delicacy that it is a pity not to prepare 
them with care. 

The hind legs only are used. They may be made into a 
broth the same as chicken broth, and are considered a very ad- 
vantageous diet for those suffering with pulmonary affections. 

Frogs Fried. 
Put them in salted boiling water, with a little lemon -juice, 
and boil them three minutes ; wipe them ; dip them first in 
cracker-dust, then in eggs (half a cupful of milk mixed in two 
eggs and seasoned with pepper and salt), then again in cracker- 
crumbs. When they are all breaded, clean off the bone at the 
end with a dry cloth. Put them in a wire basket and dip them 
in boiling lard, to fry. Put a little paper (see page 61) on 
the end of each bone ; place them on a hot platter, in the 
form of a circle, one overlapping the other, with French pease 
in the centre. Serve immediately, while they are still crisp and 
hot. 



SAUCES. 



The French say the English only know how to make one 
kind of sauce, and a poor one at that. Notwithstanding the 
French understand the sauce question, it is very convenient to 
make the drawn butter, and, by adding different flavorings, make 
just so many kinds of sauce. For instance, by adding capers, 
shrimps, chopped pickles, anchovy paste, chopped boiled eggs, 
lobster, oysters, parsley, cauliflower, etc., one has caper, shrimp, 
pickle, anchovy, Qgg, and the other sauces. The drawn-butter 
sauce is simple, yet few make it properly, managing generally 



120 FB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 

to have it insipid, and with flour uncooked. If a housekeeper 
has any pride about having a good table, she will be amply re- 
paid for learning some of the French sauces, which are, at last, 
simple enough. We are often frightened to see many items 
in a receipt ; we shake our heads dubiously at the trouble and 
extravagance of one receipt mentioning thyme, nutmeg, bay- 
leaf, mace, shallot, capers, pepper-corns, parsley, and, last of all 
the horrors, stock. As far as the herbs are concerned, an invest- 
ment of twenty -five cents will purchase enough mace, thyme, 
bay -leaves, and pepper -corns for a year's supply of abundant 
sauces, to say nothing of their uses for braising, blanquettes, 
etc. Five cents' worth of shallots should last a long time ; 
they are sold in all city markets, being only young forced 
onions. Capers would be extravagant if a bottleful, costing 
sixty cents, would not last a year in a small -sized family. I 
have already said enough about stock to show that one must 
be very incompetent if a little of it can not be at hand, made 
of trimmings and cheap pieces of meat and bones. 

The use of mushrooms and truffles, which are comparatively 
cheap in France, can not be extensively introduced here. A lit- 
tle tin can, holding about a gill of tasteless truffles, costs three 
or four dollars : however, mushrooms are much less expensive, 
and infinitely better. A can of mushrooms costs forty cents, 
and is sufficient for several sauces and entrees. 

Some persons raise mushrooms in their cellars. A small, 
rich bed in a dark place where the soil will not freeze, planted 
with mushroom spawn, will yield enough mushrooms for the 
family, and the neighbors besides, with very little trouble and 
expense. 

The French white sauces differ from the English white sauce, 
as they are made with strong white stock, prepared with veal, 
or chickens, or both, and some vegetables for a basis. If one 
would learn to make the sauce Bechamel, it will be found an 
easy affair to prepare many delicious entrees, such as chicken in 
shells (en coquille), or in papers (en papillote), and mushrooms in 
crust (croute aux champignons). 

For boiled fish the sauce Hollandaise is a decided success. 
In Paris every one speaks of this delicious sauce, and bribes 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 131 

the chef de cuisine for the receipt. It is made without stock, 
and is very simple. 

For fried fish the perfection of accompaniments is the sauce 
Tar tare — a mere addition of some capers, shallots, parsley, and 
pickles to the sauce Mayonnaise. 

When tomatoes are so abundant, it is unpardonable that one 
should never serve a tomato sauce with a beefsteak, and a score 
of other meat dishes. 

For a chicken or a lobster salad, learn unquestionably the 
sauce Mayonnaise. 

In the thickening of sauces, let it be remembered that butter 
and flour should be well cooked together before the sauce is 
added, to prevent the flour from tasting uncooked. In butter 
sauces, however, only enough butter should be used to cook the 
flour, the remainder added, cut in pieces, after the sauce is taken 
fx^om the fire. This preserves its flavor. 

Drawn-butter Sauce. 

Ingredients : Three ounces of butter, one ounce of flour, half 
a pint of water (or, better, white stock), and a pinch of salt and 
pepper. 

Put two ounces of the butter into a stew-pan, and when it 
bubbles, sprinkle in the flour ; stir it well with a wire egg-whisk 
until the flour is thoroi.ghly cooked without taking color, and 
then mix in well the balf-pint of water or stock. Take it off 
the fire, pass it through a sieve or gravy-strainer, and stir in the 
other ounce of butter cut in pieces. When properly mixed and 
melted, it is ready for use. This makes a pint of sauce. 

Some persons like drawn-buti er sauce slightly acid, in which 
case add a few drops of vinegar or lemon-juice just before serv- 
ing. 

Pickle Sauce. 

Make a drawn-butter sauce ; just before serving add two or 
three table-spoonfuls of pickled cucumbers chopped or minced 
very fine. 

Boiled-egg Sauce. 

Add to half a pint of drawn-butter sauce three hard-boiled 
eggs, chopped not too fine. 

6 



122 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Caper Sauce. 
Make a drawn -butter sauce — or, say, melt two ounces of 
butter in a saucepan ; add a table-spoonful of flour ; when the 
two are well mixed, add pepper and salt, and a little less than 
a pint of boiling water. Stir the sauce on the fire until it 
thickens, then add three table-spoonfuls of French capers. Re- 
moving the saucepan from the fire, stir into the sauce the yolk 
of an egg beaten with the juice of half a lemon. 

Anchovy Sauce. 
Add to half a pint of drawn-butter sauce two tea-spoonfuls 
of anchovy extract, or anchovy paste. 

Shrimp Sauce. 

To half a pint of drawn-butter sauce add one-third of a pint 
of picked boiled shrimps, whole, or chopped a little. Add at 
last moment a few drops of lemon-juice, and a very little Cay- 
enne pepper. Let the sauce simmer, not boil. Some add a 
tea-spoonful of anchovy paste ; more, perhaps, prefer it without 
the anchovy flavor. 

Shrimps are generally sold at market already boiled. If 
they are not boiled, throw them into salted boiling water, and 
boil them until they are quite red. When cold, pick off the 
heads, and peel off the shells. Always save a few of the 
shrimps whole for garnishing the dish. 

Lobster Sauce. 
Before proceeding to make this sauce, break up the coral of 
the lobster, and put it on a paper in a slow oven for half an 
hour; then pound it in a mortar, and sprinkle it over the 
boiled fish when it is served. To prepare the sauce itself, 
chop the meat of the tail and claws of a good -sized lobster 
into pieces, not too small. Half an hour before dinner, make 
half a pint of drawn -butter sauce. Add to it the chopped 
lobster, a pinch of coral, a small pinch of Cayenne, and a little 
salt. An English lady says : " This process seems simple, yet 
nothing is rarer in cookery than good lobster sauce. The 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 123 

means of spoiling it are chiefly by chopping the lobster too 
small, or, worse, pounding it, inserting contents of the head, or 
using milk, or anchovy, or any sauces. It should not be a half- 
solid mass, or thin liquid, but the lobster should be distinct in 
a creamy bed." 

Oyster Sauce. 

Make a drawn -butter or white sauce; add a few drops of 
lemon or a table - spoonful of capers, or, if neither be at hand, 
a few drops of vinegar ; add oysters strained from their liquor, 
and let them just come to a boil in the sauce. 

This sauce is much better made with part cream, i. e., used 
when making the drawn -butter sauce, instead of all water. In 
this case, do not add the lemon -juice or vinegar. Some make 
the white sauce of the oyster liquor, instead of water. 

This sauce may be served in a sauce-boat, but it is nicer to 
pour it over the fish, boiled turkey, or chicken. 

Parsley Sauce {for Boiled Fish or Fowls). 
To half a pint of hot drawn -butter sauce add two table- 
spoonfuls of chopped parsley. The appearance of the sauce is 
improved by coloring it with a little spinach - green (see page 
87). 

Cauliflower Sauce {for Boiled Poultry). 

Add boiled cauliflowers, cut into little flowerets, to a drawn- 
butter sauce made with part cream. 

Lemon Sauce {for Boiled Fowls). 
To half a pint of drawn -butter sauce add the inside of a 
lemon, chopped (seeds taken out), and the chicken liver boiled 
and mashed fine. 

Chicken Sauce {to serve with Boiled or Stewed Fowls). 

Put butter the size of an Qgg into a bright saucepan, and 
when it bubbles add a table - spoonful of flour; cook^it, and 
add a pint, or rather less, of boiling water ; when smooth, take 
it from the fire, and add the beaten yolks of two or three eggs, 
and a few drops of lemon-juice, pepper, and salt. Or, 



124 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Stock can be used instead of boiling water, when two or three 
small slices of onion are placed in the butter after it begins to 
bubble, and then allowed to cook yellow ; after the flour is 
cooked, stock is added instead of water, and when smooth, it 
is taken from the fire, a few drops of lemon -juice, pepper, and 
salt are added, and the sauce is strained through the gravy- 
strainer or sieve, to remove the pieces of onion. 

MAiTRE-n'HOTEL BuTTER {fov Beefsteak^ Broiled Meat., or Fish). 
Mix butter the size of an Qgg, the juice of half a lemon, and 
two or three sprigs of parsley, chopped very fine ; pepper and 
salt all together. Spread this over any broiled meat or fish when 
hot ; then put the dish into the oven a few moments, to allow 
the butter to penetrate the meat. 

Mint Sauce (for Roast Lamb). 
Put four table - spoonfuls of chopped mint, two table - spoon- 
fuls of sugar, and a quarter of a pint of vinegar into the sauce- 
boat. Let it reni^in an hour or two before dinner, that the 
vinegar may become impregnated with the mint. 

Currant-jelly Sauce {for Venison). 

A simple sauce made of currant jelly melted with a little wa- 
ter is very nice ; yet Francatelli's receipt is much better, viz. : 

" Bruise half a stick of cinnamon and six cloves ; put them 
into a stew-pan with one ounce of sugar and the peel of half a 
lemon, pared off very thin, and perfectly free from any portion 
of white pulp ; moisten this with one and a half sherry-glassfuls 
of port-wine, and set the whole to gently simmer or heat on the 
stove for half an hour; then strain it into a small stew-pan con- 
taining half a glassful of currant jelly. Just before sending the 
sauce to the table, set it on the fire to boil, in order to melt the 
currant jellv, and so that it may mix with the essence of spice, 
etc." 

Tomato Sauce (No. 1). 

Stew six tomatoes half an hour with two cloves,' a sprig of 
parsley, pepper, and salt ; press this through a sieve ; put a lit- 
tle butter into a saucepan over the fire, and when it bubbles add 



PRACTICAL COOKING, ANI> UINNEIi GIVING. 125 

a heaping tea-spoonful of flour ; mix and cook it well, and add 
the tomato-pulp, stirring until it is smooth and consistent. 

Some add one or two slices of onion at first. It is a decided 
improvement to add three or four table - spoonfuls of stock; 
however, the sauce is very good without it, and people are gen- 
erally too careless to have stock at hand. 

Tomato Sauce (No. 2). 

Ingredients : One - quart can of tomatoes, two cloves, one 
small sprig of thyme, two sprigs of parsley, half a small bay- 
leaf, three pepper-corns, three allspice, two slices of carrot (one 
and a half ounces), one-ounce onion (one small onion), one and 
a half ounces of butter (size of a pigeon's Qgg)^ one and a half 
ounces of flour (one table-spoonful). 

Put the tomatoes over the fire with all the above ingredients 
but the butter and flour, and when they have boiled about twen- 
ty minutes strain them through a* sieve. Make a roux by put- 
ting the butter into a stew-pan, and when it bubbles sprinkle in 
the flour, which let cook, stirring it well ; then pour in the to- 
mato-pulp ; when it is well mixed, it is ready for use. 

Sauce Hollandaise, or Dutch Sauce. 

As this is one of the best sauces ever made for boiled fish, 
asparagus, or cauliflower, I will give two receipts. The first is 
Dubois'; the second is from the Cooking - school in New York. 
None should call themselves cooks unless they know how to 
make the sauce Hollandaise, and simple enough it is. 

1st. "Pour four table-spoonfuls of good vinegar into a small 
stew-pan, and add some pepper -corns and salt; let the liquid 
boil until it is reduced to half ; let it cool ; then add to it the 
well-beaten yolks of four or five eggs, also four ounces (size of 
an egg) of good butter, more salt, if necessary, and a very little 
nutmeg. Set the stew-pan on a very slow fire, and stir tlie 
liquid until it is about as thick as cream ; immediately remove 
it. Now put this stew-pan or cup into another pan contain- 
ing a little warm water kept at the side of the fire. Work the 
sauce briskly with a spoon, or with a little whisk, so as to get 
it frothy, but adding little bits of butter, in all about three 



126 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

ounces" (/ would say the size of half an Qgg). "When the 
sauce has become light and smooth, it is ready for use." 

2d. "Put a piece of butter the size of a pigeon's egg into a 
saucepan, and when it bubbles stir in with an egg-whisk an even 
table-spoonful of flour ; let it continue to bubble until the flour 
is thoroughly cooked, when stir in half a pint of boiling water, 
or, better, of veal stock ; when it boils, take it from the fire, and 
stir into it gradually the beaten yolks of four eggs ; return the 
sauce to the fire for a minute, to set the eggs, without allowing 
it to boil; again remove the sauce, stir in the juice of half a 
small lemon, and fresh butter the size of a walnut, cut into 
small pieces, to facilitate its melting, and stir all well with the 
whisk." 

Mushrooms, for Garnish {Gouffe). 

Separate the button part from the stalk; then peel them 
with a sharp knife, cutting ofi merely the skin. Put them into 
a stew-pan with a table-spoonful of lemon-juice and two table- 
spoonfuls of water. Toss them well, to impregnate them with 
the liquid. The object of the lemon -juice is to keep them 
white. Then put them on a sharp fire in boiling water, with 
some butter added. When they are boiled tender they are 
ready for use, i. e., for garnishing and for sauces. 

Mushroom Sauce {to serve with Beefsteaks, Fillets of Beef, etc.). 
Having prepared the mushrooms by cutting oflE the stalks, 
and if they are large, by cutting them in halves or quarters, 
throw them into a little boiling water, or, what is much better, 
stock. Do not use more than is necessary to cover them. 
This must be seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little butter. 
Boil the mushrooms until they are tender, then thicken the 
gravy slightly with a roux of butter and flour. Add a few 
drops of lemon-juice. It is now ready to pour over the meat. 

Mushroom White Sauce {to serve with Boiled Fowls or with 

Cutlets). 

Prepare the mushrooms as for garnishing ; boil them tender in 

rich white stock, made of veal or chicken ; thicken with a roux 

of butter and flour, and add one or two table-spoonfuls of cream. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 127 

Mushroom Sauce {made ivith Canned Mushrooms). 
Put a piece of butter the size of a walnut into a small stew- 
pan or tin basin, and when it bubbles add a tea-spoonful (not 
heaping) of flour ; when well cooked, stir in a cupful of stock 
(reduced and strong), and half a tea-cupful of the mushroom- 
juice from the can ; let it simmer for a minute or two ; then, 
after straining it, add half or three quarters of a can of mush- 
rooms, pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon -juice. When 
thoroughly hot it is ready to pour over the meat. 

A Simple Bechamel Sauce. 

Put butter the size of a walnut into a stew-pan, and when it 
bubbles stir in an even table - spoonful of flour, which cook 
thoroughly without letting it take color. Mix into the roux a 
cupful of strong hot veal stock {i. e., veal put into cold water 
and boiled four or five hours), a cupful of boiling cream, and 
one grating of nutmeg ; let it simmer, stirring it well for a few 
minutes, then strain, and it is ready for use. The sauce would 
be improved if the usual soup-bunch vegetables were added to 
the stock while it is being made. 

Bechamel Sauce. 

Ingredients : One pint of veal stock (a knuckle of veal put 
into one gallon of cold water, boiled five hours, skimmed and 
strained), half an ounce of onion (quarter of a rather small 
one), quarter of an ounce of turnip (quarter of a turnip), one 
ounce of carrot (quarter of a good-sized carrot), half an ounce 
of parsley (two sprigs), quarter of a bay-leaf, half a sprig of 
thyme, three pepper-corns, half a lump of sugar, a small blade 
of mace. 

Put one ounce (size of a walnut) of butter into a stew-pan, 
and when hot add to it all the above ingredients but the stock 
and the mace; fry this slowly until it assumes a yellow color; 
do not let it brown, as the sauce should be white when done ; 
stir in now a table - spoonful (one ounce) of flour, which let 
cook a minute, and add the blade of mace and the stock (boil- 
ing) from another stew-pan. After it has all simmered about 



1^8 FliACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

five minutes, strain it through a sieve without allowing the veg- 
etables to pass through; return the strained sauce to the fire, 
reduce it by boiling about one -third, when add three or four 
table-spoonfuls of good thick cream, and the sauce is ready. 

Sauce aux FtNES Herbes. 
Ingredients : Half a pint of good stock, three table-spoonfuls 
of mushrooms, one table-spoonful of onions, two table-spoonfuls 
of parsley, and one shallot, all chopped fine. Fry the shallot 
and onion in a little butter until they assume a light-yellow col- 
or, then add a tea-spoonful of flour and cook it a minute ; stir 
in the stock, mushrooms, and parsley, simmer for five minutes, 
then add a little Worcestershire sauce, and salt to taste. If no 
Worcestershire sauce is at hand, add pepper to taste in its 
place. 

Sauce Tartare {a Cold Sauce). 

To a scant half pint of Mayonnaise sauce (made with the 
mustard added) mix in two table - spoonfuls of capers, one 
small shallot (quarter of a rather small onion, a poor substitute), 
two gerkins (or two ounces of cucumber pickle), and one ta- 
ble-spoonful of parsley, all chopped very fine. This sauce will 
keep a long time, and is delicious for fried fish, fried oysters, 
boiled cod-fish, boiled tongue, or as dressing for a salad. 



By making the following simple sauce, one can produce sev- 
eral by a little variation. 

A Simple Brown Sauce. 

Put into a saucepan a table-spoonful of minced onion and a 
little butter. When it has taken color, sprinkle in a heaping 
tea-spoonful of flour ; stir well, and when brown add half a pint 
of stock. Cook it a few minutes, and strain. Now, by adding 
a cupful of claret, two cloves, a sprig of parsley, and one of 
thyme, a bay-leaf, pepper, and salt, and by boiling two or three 
minutes and straining it, one has the sauce poivrade. 

If, instead of the claret, one should add to the poivrade sauce 
a table-spoonful each of minced cucumber pickles, vinegar, and 
capers, one has the sauce piquante. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 129 

By adding one tea -spoonful of made mustard, the juice of 
half a lemon, and a little vinegar to the poivrade, instead of the 
claret, one has the sauce Robert, 



BEEF. 

For a roast of beef, the sirloin and tenderloin cuts are con- 
sidered the best. They are more expensive, and are no better 
than the best cuts of a rib roast : the sixth, seventh, and eighth 
ribs are the choicest cuts. The latter roasts are served to bet- 
ter advantage by requesting the butcher to remove the bones 
and roll the meat. Always have him send the bones also, as 
they are a valuable acquisition to the soup-pot. As the rolled 
rib roasts are shaved evenly off and across the top when carved 
(the roasts are to be cooked rare, of course), they present an 
equally good appearance for a second cooking. I have really 
served a roast a third time to good advantage, serving it the 
last time a la jardiniere. Of course, in summer large cuts 
should not be purchased. 

If the animal is young and large, and the meat is of clear, 
bright-red color, and the fat white, the meat is sure to be ten- 
der and juicy. 

There is no better sauce for a good, juicy roast of beef than 
the simple juice of the meat. Horse-radish sauce may be served 
if the beef is not particularly good. 

If a sauce is made by adding hot water, flour, pepper, and 
salt to the contents of the baking-pan after the beef is cooked, 
do not serve it with a half-inch depth of pure grease on top 
in the sauce-boat. This is as absurd, when it can be allowed 
to stand a moment and simply poured off, or taken off with a 
spoon, as to serve wet salt at table, which can easily be placed 
in the oven a few moments to dry, before sifting. Also, this 
kind of baking-pan sauce would not be so very objectionable, 
if cooks generally knew that it does not require a scientific 
education, nor a herculean effort, to strain it through a gravy- 
strainer. 

6* 




130 PEACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



To Roast or Bake Beef. 
A few rules for roasting and baking beef : Allow nine min- 
utes to the pound for baking a rolled rib-roast ; for roasting it, 
allow ten minutes to the pound. Sirloin roasts require eight 

minutes to the 
pound for bak- 
ing, nine min- 
utes for roast- 
ing. 

To bake, have 
the oven very 
hot. Before putting in the meat, sprinkle over pepper and salt, 
and dredge with flour. Pour a little boiling water into the pan 
before baking. Baste frequently. 

To roast, have a bright fire. Hang the joint about eighteen 
inches from it at first, put a little clarified dripping into the drip- 
ping-pan, baste the meat with it when first prepared to cook, and 
every fifteen minutes afterward. Twenty minutes before the 
beef is done, sprinkle with pepper and salt, dredge with flour, 
baste with a little butter or dripping. Keep the fire bright, 
and turn the meat before it. It should be well browned and 
frothed. The cut, a rolled rib roast, with mashed potatoes. 

Yorkshire Pudding. 

Ingredients : Six large table - spoonfuls of flour, three eggs 
(well beaten), one salt-spoonful of salt, enough milk to make it 
of the consistency of soft custard (about one and a half pints). 

Add enough milk to the flour and salt to make a smooth, 
stiff batter ; add the eggs, and enough more milk to make it of 
the proper consistency. Beat all well together, pour it into a 
shallow pan (buttered) ; bake three-quarters of an hour. 

Some empty the dripping-pan three-quarters of an hour be- 
fore baked beef is done, and put the pudding into the empty 
pan, the beef on a three-cornered stand over it, that its juice 
may drop on the pudding. If beef is roasted, the pudding may 
be first baked in the oven, then placed under the beef for fif- 
teen or twenty minutes, to catch any stray drops. It is as oft- 
en served, though, baked in the oven in the ordinary way. 



PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 131 

It is cut into squares and served on a hot plate, to be eaten 
with roast beef. It is a favorite EngUsh dish. 

Beef A la Mode. 

Six or seven pounds from a round of beef are generally se- 
lected ; however, there is a cut from the shoulder which answers 
very well for an a-la-mode beef. If the round is used, extract 
the bone. Make several deep incisions into the meat with a 
thin sharp knife; press into most of them lardoons of pork 
about half an inch square, and two or three inches long ; in the 
other cuts, and especially the one from whence the bone was 
extracted, stuff almost any kind of force-meat, the simplest 
being as follows : Mix some soaked bread with a little chopped 
beef -suet, onion, any herbs, such as parsley, thyme, or summer 
savory; a little ^gg, Cayenne pepper, salt, and cloves. Press 
the beef into shape, round or oval, and tie it securely. 

Put trimmings of pork into the bottom of a large saucepan or 
iron pot, and when hot put over the meat ; brown it all over by 
turning all sides to the bottom of the pot, which should now be 
uncovered. This will take about half an hour. Next sprinkle 
over a heaping table-spoonful of flour, and brown that also. Put 
a small plate under the beef, to prevent burning, and fill the pot 
with enough boiling water to half cover the meat ; throw over 
a saucerful of sliced onions, carrots, some turnips, if you like, 
and some parsley. There are iron pots, with tight iron covers, 
which are made expressly for this kind of cooking ; but if you 
have none of this description, you will now have to cover the 
one used with enough covers, towels, etc., to make it tight as 
possible, so that the meat may be cooked in the steam. Let it 
cook for four or five hours, never allowing the water to stop 
boiling. Watch it, that it may not get too low, and replenish 
it with boiling water. When the meat is done, put it on a hot 
platter ; strain the gravy, skim off every particle of fat, add two 
or three table-spoonfuls of port or sherry wine, also pepper and 
salt, if necessary, and pour this gravy and selected pieces of the 
vegetables over the meat. 

Baked onions (see page 201), placed around the beef as a 
garnish, complete the dish for a course at dinner. 



132 Pli ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Braised Beef (No. 1). — JVew York CooJcing-school. 

Ingredients: Six-pound loin of beef, half a pound of pork, 
three - fourths of a cupful of flour, two - ounce onion (one small 
onion), three -ounce carrot (half a large carrot), one -ounce tur- 
nip, one -third of a bunch of parsley, one sprig of thyme, two 
cloves, three allspice, six pepper-corns, half of a bay-leaf. 

Trim the beef into a shapely piece ; stick a knife quite 
through different portions of it, in which apertures press slices 
or lardoons of pork, half an inch square, and three or four 
inches long. Tie the beef into shape with twine. Lay scraps 
of pork on the bottom of a saucepan, place it on a brisk fire, 
and when hot put in the beef ; brown it all over by turning the 
different sides to the bottom of the uncovered saucepan. It will 
take about half an hour to brown it. Now sprinkle over the 
beef three - fourths of a cupful of flour (three ounces), also the 
vegetables and spices ; and brown all this by again turning the 
meat over the fire. When they are of fine color, pour over a 
tumblerful of claret, which reduce to half ; then fill the sauce- 
pan with boiling stock or water; cover it tightly, and place it 
in a hot oven for two and a half hours. When done, put the 
beef on a hot platter. 

Strain the sauce in which the beef was cooked, take off every 
particle of fat, season with more salt, if necessary ; pour about 
half a cupful of it over the beef in the platter, and serve the re- 
mainder in a sauce-boat. 

The beef may be surrounded with green pease, prepared as 
follows : Wash a can of American pease in cold water, then put 
them over the fire with half a cupful of boiling water, salt, pep- 
per, one ounce of butter, and one salt-spoonful of sugar. When 
the pease have simmered a minute, strain them from their liq- 
uor, and place them in the platter around the beef. 

Braised Beef (No. 2). 
The same cut which is used for an a -la -mode beef may be 
braised in the same manner as is described for a fillet of beef 
braised. This may be served with the gravy, as is there de- 
scribed, or with the addition of the jardiniere of vegetables. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 133 

Braised Beef, with Horse-radish Sauce. 

Braise five pounds of fresh beef (not too lean), with an onion 
and a carrot shced, two or three sprigs of parsley, four or five 
cloves, a little celery, if you have it, pepper, salt, and about a 
quart of boiling water. Cover it tightly, and let it cook about 
three hours, replenishing with a little boiling water, if the steam 
escapes too much. 

Sauce. — Simmer together for quarter of an hour half a cup- 
ful of grated cracker, half a cupful of grated horse - radish, one 
cupful of cream, a table-spoonful of the fat from the top of the 
water in which the beef is cooked, salt, and pepper. 

Place the beef on the platter in which it is to be served, and 
pour the sauce around it. Garnish with parsley. 

Fillet of Beef. 

I will be very specific about the fillet of beef, as it is easily 
managed at home, and is very expensive ordered from the res- 
taurateur. His price is generally ten dollars for a dressed and 
cooked fillet of beef for a dinner for ten or twelve persons. To 
buy it from the butcher costs a dollar a pound when dressed ; 
three pounds are quite sufficient for ten or twelve persons. To 
lard it (an affair of ten minutes) would cost ten cents more ; a 
box of French canned mushrooms, an additional forty cents ; a 
little stock, five cents. 

One sees a fillet of beef at almost every dinner party. " That 
same fillet, with mushrooms," a frequent diner-out will say. I 
hope to see it continued, for among the substantials there is 
nothing more satisfactory. 

A good butcher will always deliver a fillet of beef already 
dressed ; if, however, it is necessary to have it dressed at home, 
the modus operandi is as follows : 

To Trim a Fillet of Beef. 

The fillet is the under side of the loin of beef. The steaks cut 

from this part are called porter-house-steaks. This under side, 

or fillet, is covered with skin and fat. "All the skin and fat 

must be removed from the top of the fillet, from one end to the 



134 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

other ; then the rib-bones are disengaged. The fat adhering to 
the side opposite the ribs is only partially removed. Now the 
sinewy skin covering the upper meat of the fillet must be re- 
moved in strips, proceeding by slipping the blade of the knife 
between the skin and the meat. This operation is very simple ; 
yet it requires great precision. The upper part of a trimmed 
fillet must be smooth, i. e., must not be furrowed by hollows 
occasioned by wrong movements of the knife. The skin being- 
removed, both extremities of the fillet are rounded. The fat 
inside the rib is the only portion of fat allowed to adhere to 
the meat. The larding of the meat is applied to its upper sur- 
face." 

To Cook a Fillet of Beef. 

After it is trimmed and larded, put it into a small baking- 
pan, in the bottom of which are some chopped pieces of pork 
and beef-suet ; sprinkle some salt and pepper over it, and put a 
large ladleful of hot stock into the bottom of the pan, or it may 
be simply basted with boiling water. Half an hour (if the oven 
is very hot, as it should be) before dinner, put it into the oven. 
Baste it often, supplying a little hot stock, if necessary. 

French cooks often braise a fillet of beef. I do not like it as 
well as baking or roasting, as the vegetables and wine destroy 
the beefs own flavor. 

To Make the Mushroom Sauce. 
Take a ladleful of stock, free from grease, from the stock- 
pot ; add to it part of the juice from the can of mushrooms ; 
thicken it with a little flour and butter mixed (roux) ; add pep- 
per, salt, and a few drops of lemon -juice; now add the mush- 
rooms — let them simmer a few minutes. Pour the sauce over 

the fillet of beef, and 
serve. 

At small dinner 
companies, where the 
host carves, or has a 
good carver, the fillet 
can be served entire, 
decorated as elaborately as one wishes. If, however, the dinner 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



135 



is served from the side, it is convenient to have it carved as 
shown in cut on preceding page. The centre of the fillet is 
disengaged, then carved, and returned to its place. It has then 
the appearance of being whole. 

To Garnish a Fillet of Beef. 
As I have mentioned before, a fillet of beef is generally 
served with mushrooms; sometimes with different vegetables 
a la jardiniere ; sometimes with French pease; sometimes with 
potatoes cut into little round balls, and fried in boiling lard, 
called potatoes a la Farisienne on a French bill of fare ; some- 




times with stuffed tomatoes ; sometimes skewers are put in 
stuck through a turnip carved into a cup, and this cup holds 
horse-radish. But some people say skewers remind them of 
steamboat cooking; then some people are not easily pleased, 
anyway ; and who remembers of having seen so many skewers 
on steamboats, after all ? Not that I am particularly advocating 
skewers, but I think dishes taste better, as a general thing, when 
they are decorated in almost any manner. I ojice saw at a dinner 
in Paris hot slices of roast or baked fillet of beef, tastefully ar- 
ranged on a platter, with sauce Hollandaise (rather thick) poured 
over each slice in the form of a ring. It was a success. 

The manner of garnishing a fillet of beef a la Godard and a 
la Frovenfale, etc., with truffles, quenelles, livers, olives, etc., all 
stewed with wines, stocks, etc., I will not explain. It is enough 
to make one groan to think of learning to make them, and more 
than ever to eat them. 



To Roast a Fillet of Beef. 
Lard it, and bind it carefully to the skewer with a small 



136 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

wire ; cover the fillet with sweet salad - oil and a little lemon- 
juice. Do not place it too near the fire at first, as it would 
scorch the larding. Baste it frequently. 

A professional cook would glaze the fillet two or three times 
with a glazing-brush, beginning the first time about five minutes 
before taking it away from the fire, then glazing it again when 
it is on the dish to be served. 

Glaze is merely strong stock boiled down until it is almost a 
thick jelly. When the fillet is carved at table, the little juice 
which falls into the dish should be poured over each of the 
slices. 

To Braise a Fillet of Beef. 

Put the larded fillet into a braising-pan or stew-pan ; put in 
trimmings of pork, onions (with some cloves stuck in), carrots, 
a little celery (all cut in thick slices), and a bunch of parsley. 
Salt the meat slightly. Pour in stock and white wine, so that 
it may reach to half the height of the beef. If a braising-pan 
is used, cover the meat with a well -buttered paper, as in that 
case live coals are put on top of the pan. If you use a stew- 
pan, simply cover it as tight as possible. Let it simmer, re- 
plenishing it, when necessary, with more boiling stock. It will 
require an hour or an hour and a half to cook. When done, 
drain it: a professional cook would glaze it. Put it into the 
oven a moment to dry the larding. Pass the cooking - stock 
through a sieve ; skim off the fat ; add some tomato sauce ; let 
it boil until it is reduced to the degree requisite. Serve the 
fillet whole, or carved in slices ready to serve. Generally only 
the middle part of the fillet is used, as the whole fillet is quite 
large — weighing from eight to ten pounds. 

To Trim with Vegetables {a la Jardiniere). 
Every kind of vegetable is used, such as potatoes, carrots, 
turnips, beets, small onions, cauliflower - blossoms, asparagus- 
heads, French beans, pease, etc. The larger vegetables are cut 
into little fancy shapes with a vegetable-cutter or a fluted knife, 
or with a little plain knife, into little balls, olives, squares, dia- 
monds, or into any form to suit the taste. Each kind of vege- 
table should be boiled separately in salted water or stock. The 



PliACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINQ. 137 




vegetables are piled into little groups, each pile being of one 
kind of vegetable. 

Fillet of Beef cut into Slices or Scollops. 
This is a good way of managing the beef that is left from 
the roast or baked fillet of beef to be served the second day. 
Cut the fillet, after reheating it in the oven, into slices about 
three - fourths of an inch thick, and two inches wide. Form a 
circle in a dish by lapping each of these scollops partly over 
the other. Fill the centre with a tomato sauce, or potatoes a 
la Parisienne, or mushrooms, or with any of the small vegeta- 
bles, such as pease, beans, little balls of carrots, potatoes, etc., in 
different little piles ; or with truflies (they can be procured can- 
ned) sliced, with Madeira sauce ; or with mushrooms and truffles 
mixed, with Madeira sauce. 

Beefsteak. 

The porter-house and tenderloin steaks are best. Of course, 
there is great difference in the different cuts of these steaks. 
For a cheap steak, a good cut of what is called chuck -steak is 
best. It has more flavor and juice, and is more tender than the 
round-steak, costing the same price. 

Have the choice steaks cut half an inch thick at least ; they 
are even better three-quarters of an inch thick. Grease the 
gridiron well with pork or beef-suet. Have it quite hot. Put 
on the steak over a hot, clear fire ; cover it with a baking -pan. 
In a moment, when the steak is colored, turn it over. Watch it 
constantly, turning it whenever it gets a little brown. Do not 
stick the fork into the middle of the steak, only into the sides, 



138 PE ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 

where it will do least harm by letting out the juice. It should 
be quite rare or pink in the centre, though not raw. When 
cooked enough, put it on a hot platter ; sprinkle over plenty of 
salt and pepper — mind not to put on the salt and pepper be- 
fore the steak is cooked ; then spread over the top some sweet, 
fresh butter. Set the platter in the oven a few moments, to let 
the butter soak a little in the steak; then serve it immediately. 
Do not use too much butter; there should be none at all, or 
at least only a few stray drops, in the bottom of the platter. 
There should be no gravy. The juice of a properly cooked 
steak is supposed to be in the inside of the steak, and not swim- 
ming in the dish. 

A steak is much improved by a simple addition, called by 
professional cooks a la maitre cfhotel. 

When the steak is cooked, it is placed on the hot platter. 
First, then, salt and pepper are sprinkled over; then comes a 
sprinkling of very finely chopped parsley ; then some drops of 
lemon-juice ; lastly, small pieces of butter are carefully spread 
over. Place the steak into the oven for a few moments until 
the butter is well melted and soaked into the steak. 

For extra-company breakfasts, only the fillets, i. e., the tender 
parts of the porter-house or tenderloin steaks, are used. They 
are cut into little even shapes, round or oval, one for each plate. 
They are cooked, then served in a hot dish, surrounded with 
Saratoga potatoes, or fried potatoes in any form, or with water- 
cresses, or with mushrooms, or stuffed tomatoes, or green pease, 
etc. 

Corned Beef. 

A good piece of beef well corned, then well boiled, is a most 
excellent dish. 

Put it into the pot with enough cold water to just cover it. 
When it comes to a boil, set it on the back of the range, so 
that it will boil moderately. Too fast boiling renders meat 
tough, yet the water should never be allowed to cease boiling 
until the meat is done; skim often. Let it boil at least four 
or five hours, according to its size. It must be thoroughly 
done. In England, where this dish is an especial favorite, car- 
rots are always boiled and served with the beef. The carrot 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING, 139 

flavor improves the meat, and the meat improves the carrot. 
Do not put the car- 
serving (about three- 
quarters of an hour). Serve the carrots around the beef. 

In America, cabbage is oftener boiled with corned beef. 
This is very nice also. If cabbage is used, add at the same 
time one or two little red peppers. When about to serve, 
press out all the water from the cabbage, adding little pieces 
of butter. Serve the meat placed in the centre of the cabbage. 

Little pickles are a pretty garnish for corned beef, with or 
without the vegetables. 

Corned Beef to serve Cold {Mrs. Gratz Brown). 
If it is too salt, soak it for an hour in cold water, then put it 
over the fire, covered with fresh cold water, four or five cloves 
(for about six pounds of beef), and three table - spoonfuls of 
molasses. Boil it slowly. In an hour change the water, add- 
ing five more cloves and three more table-spoonfuls of molas- 
ses. In two hours more, press the beef, after removing the 
bones, into a basin rather small for it ; then, turning it over, 
place a flat-iron on top. When entirely cold, the beef is to be 
sliced for lunch or tea. 

Beefsteak Stewed. 

Never use a choice steak for a stew. Stewing is only a 
good way of cooking an inferior steak. The meat from a soup- 
bone would make a very good stew. 

Put ripe tomatoes (peeled and cut) into a stew-pan ; sprinkle 
over pepper and salt. Let them cook a little to make some 
juice; put in the pieces of beef, some little pieces of butter 
mixed with flour, two or three cloves, and no water. Let it 
stew until the meat is quite done. Then press the tomatoes 
through a sieve. Serve all on the same dish. 



140 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Beefsteak Rolled. 
Procure a round steak, spread over it a layer of almost any- 
kind of force-meat. An ordinary bread, onion, thyme, or pars- 
ley dressing, used to stufE turkeys, is very good. Begin, then, at 
one end of the steak, and roll it carefully ; tie the roll to keep 
it in shape. Bake it in the oven as you would a turkey, bast- 
ing very often. Make a gravy of the drippings, adding water, 
flour, and a little butter mixed ; season with pepper and salt, 
strain, skim off the fat, and pour it around the meat when 
served. Slice it neatly off the end when carving. 

Beef Roll (Cannelon de Boeuf). 
Chop two pounds of lean beef very fine; chop and pound 
in a mortar half a pound of fat bacon, and mix it with the 
beef. Season it with pepper and salt (it will not require much 
salt), a small nutmeg, the grated rind of a lemon, the juice of a 
quarter of it, a heaping table-spoonful of parsley minced fine ; 
or it can be seasoned with an additional table-spoonful of on- 
ion ; or, if no onion or parsley is at hand, with summer savory 
^ ..____^^ and thyme. Bind all 

" =^-«=- ^itli buttered paper, 

which tie securely around it. Then cover it with a paste made 
of flour and water. Bake two hours. Remove the paper and 
crust. Serve it hot, with tomato-sauce or brown gravy. This 
may be made with raw or under-dressed meat. If the meat is 
not raw, but under -dressed, surround the roll with pie -crust. 
Bake, and serve with tomato-sauce, or any of the brown sauces, 
poured in the bottom of the dish. Potato croquettes may be 
served around it. 

What to do with Cold Cooked Beef. 
There is a good-sized book written on this subject. When 
there are about two hundred ways of utilizing cold cooked 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 141 

beef, one should not regard it contemptuously. I studied this 
treatise, and practiced from it, but soon considered the few old 
ways the best, after all. Croquettes are very good, and there 
are beef - sausages, or cakes, seasoned in different ways ; beef 
rolls, meat pies, and mince-pies, made from a few scraps of cold 
cooked beef, are all exceedingly nice when properly made. 

Beef Hash. 

Notwithstanding this distinguished dish is so much abused, 
I particularly like it ; not swimming hash, nor onion hash, nor 
Southern or Western hash, nor yet hash half cooked, but New 
York hash. I know a New York family who set a most ex- 
pensive and elaborate table, which table is especially noted for 
its good hash. Large joints are purchased with special ref- 
erence to this dish. Cold corned beef is generally considered 
best. The hash to which I have referred, however, is generally 
made of cold roast beef. 

Chop the cold cooked meat rather fine; use half as much 
meat as of boiled potatoes (chopped when cold). Put a little 
boiling water and butter into an iron saucepan ; when it boils 
again, put in the meat and potatoes well salted and peppered. 
Let it cook well, stirring it occasionally — not enough to make 
a puree or mush of it. It is not done before there is a coating 
at the bottom of the saucepan, from which the hash will free 
itself without sticking. The hash must not be at all watery, 
nor yet too dry, but so that it will stand quite firm on well- 
trimmed and buttered slices of toast, and to be thus served on 
a platter. Voila ! 

Chicken or turkey hash should be made in the same way. 

Meat Pie {French Cook). 
Cut cold cooked meat into quite small dice ; add pepper, 
salt, a little nutmeg, and two or three sprigs of chopped pars- 
ley ; also a little thyme and a piece of bay - leaf, if you have 
them, but the two latter herbs may be omitted. Put a little 
butter into a saucepan, and when hot throw in a table-spoon- 
ful of flour, which brown carefully ; pour in then several table- 
spoonfuls of hot water, or, better, stock ; mix well ; then intro- 



142 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 

duce the meat dice ; stir all well over the fire, cookins: it thor- 
oughly. Just before taking it up, mix in one or two eggs. It 
should be quite moist, yet consistent. Put a thin pie-crust into 
a pudding-dish. Fill in a few table-spoonfuls of the mixture ; 
then lay on it a thin strip of bacon ; continue these layers un- 
til the dish is filled. Now fit a piece of crust over the top ; 
turn the edges in a fancy manner, and make a cut in the cen- 
tre. Take a strip of pie-paste, form it into a tie or knot, wet 
the bottom, and place it over the cut in the centre of the pie, so 
as not to obstruct the opening. 

The proper way to make a meat pie is with a pie-mold (see 
page 58). Butter the mold, press the crust neatly around in 
the inside and bottom, and continue, as explained for the pud- 
ding-dish. When baked, the wire holding the sides of the 
mold is drawn out, and the mold removed from the pie. This 
pie can be made with veal or lamb, in the same manner. 

Meat Rissoles. 

For rissoles, cold beef, chicken, veal, tongue, or lamb may be 
used, separately or mixed. The meat should not be chopped, 
but cut into quite small dice. It is well to add to it a slight 
flavoring of chopped pork, and a Uttle finely chopped pars- 
ley. As the meat can be prepared in different ways, the ad- 
dition of a superfluous mushroom or two, cut into dice, would 
not be amiss. 

Put a small piece of butter, size of a pigeon's egg, into a 
saucepan, and when it begins to boil add a heaping tea -spoon- 
ful of flour ; stir for a minute to cook the flour, then add three 
or four table-spoonfuls of boiling water, or, what is much bet- 
ter, stock, gravy, or brown or white sauce if you happen to 
have it ; when well mixed, add about two cupfuls of the meat 
dice, heat well, and just before taking from the fire stir in an 
egg- 

The scraps of puff-paste are generally preferred, yet any kind 
of pie -paste may be used for rissoles. Roll the paste quite 
thin (one-sixth of an inch) ; wet it about three inches from the 
edge, and place upon it little balls (a generous tea-spoonful in 
each one) of the prepared meat, at distances of four inches 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



143 



apart ; now lap over the edge of the paste, quite covering the 
balls of meat ; press the side of the hand between each one, 
and, with the edge of a tumbler or muffin-ring, press the paste 
close to the meat ; with a biscuit-cutter (scolloped one prettier) 
cut out each enveloped ball of meat into half circles. Now 
cut off the rough edges of the remaining paste, and proceed to 
make other rows of the rissoles in the same manner. With 
a brush wet all the tops with the yolk of an egg. Bake the 
rissoles in a hot oven, and serve them hot on a folded napkin. 
If they get cold, they may be reheated just before serving. 

Beef or any Cold-meat Sausages. 
Chop cold cooked beef very fine ; add a fifth as much pork, 
also chopped fine ; pepper, salt, a little sage, or any herbs pre- 
ferred, lemon -juice, and a few sprinkles of flour; mix all to- 
gether with an egg, or eggs ; form into little balls, fry in butter 
or lard in a saute pan. These sausages are good for breakfast 
served around a centre of apple-sauce. Or, 

For Rice and Meat Cakes, 
make as in last receipt, adding a very little butter. Stir in a 
quarter or half of its quantity of boiled rice ; or, on another oc- 
casion, bread-crumbs may be substituted for rice. 

Beef Croquettes. 

There is no more satisfactory manner of using cold cooked 
beef than for cro- 



quettes, which may 
be served with to- 
mato or any of the 
brown sauces, or may 
be served without 
sauce at all, as is 
generally the case. 
They are made in the same manner as is described for chicken 
croquettes (see page 1Y5), merely substituting the same amount 
of beef for the chicken, and of rice for the brains. 




144 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



A Cheap Arrangement. 
Purchase two soup bones (twenty cents). Boil them four 
or five hours with a few vegetables (as described for stock, 
see page V9). The stock will make two or three soups. Cut 
up the meat for croquettes. Of course the croquettes are bet- 
ter made with the best of meat, yet may be excellent when 
made of the soup meat. 

Mince-pies {made from Remnants of Cold Beef). 
A good disposition in winter of cold roast beef is to make 
with it two or three mince-pies, as by the following receipt : 
One cupful of chopped meat (quarter of it fat), two cupfuls of 
apple, one tea -spoonful of salt, one table - spoonful of ground 
allspice, half a table-spoonful of ground cinnamon, half a table- 
spoonful of ground cloves, one cupful of sugar, half a cupful of 
raisins, half a cupful of currants, one cupful of cider ; or, if 
one has no cider, use the same amount of cider -vinegar and 
water mixed — say half of each. 

A Common Pot-pie of Veal, Beef, or Chicken. 

Cut the meat into pieces, and put them into enough boiling 
water to cover them well ; add also two or three strips of pork. 
Cover the pot closely. Boil an hour, then season with pepper 
and salt to taste, and a little piece of butter. 

Just before taking out the ingredients of the pot to send to 
table, put into it, when the water is boiling, separate spoonfuls 
of batter made with two eggs well beaten, two and a half or 
three cupfuls of buttermilk, one tea-spoonful of soda, and suf- 
ficient flour. The batter should be made just before it is cook- 
ed. It takes about three or four minutes to cook it, the water 
not to be allowed to stop boiling. The dish should then be 
served immediately, or the dumplings will become heavy. 

Calf's Heart. 
If people generally knew how nice a calf's heart is, if prop- 
erly cooked, the butchers would never charge so little as ten 
cents for it. In France, the calf's heart and kidneys are 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



145 




considered great delicacies. In America they are often thrown 
away. 

Merely wash off the blood. One could, by soaking, extract 
all the flavor from the heart. Stuff it with a veal force-meat 
stuffing, or a common stuffing, often used for turkeys, of bread- 
crumbs, onion, a little thyme or sage, Qgg, pepper, and salt. 
Tie a buttered paper over the mouth of the heart to keep the 
stuffing in place. Put it into a small baking -pan with a little 
hot water, pepper, and 
salt. Bake nearly two 
hours, basting it very 
frequently. When 
done, thicken the 
gravy with flour ; 
strain, skim, and sea- 
son it, and pour it on 
the dish around the 
heart. Garnish the 
plate with onions, first boiled until nearly done, then seasoned 
with pepper, salt, and a little butter, and browned in the oven. 

Tongue, with Mustard Pickle Sauce. 
Cut boiled tongue into slices ; fry them in a little hot but- 
ter, with a sprinkle of minced onion thrown in. Then, for the 
sauce, take out the slices of tongue ; put in a tea-spoonful of 
flour, and when brown, a tea-cupful of hot water. When done, 
strain, and season with salt and pepper ; add a table-spoonful of 
chopped pickles (piccalilli is best) ; however, common cucum- 
ber pickles may be used, with a little mustard added ; or the 
sauce may be flavored with capers, or with both capers and 
pickles. Let the slices of tongue soak in the sauce u'htil ready 
to serve, then arrange the slices of tongue on a platter, one lap- 
ped over the other, and pour over the sauce. A beef tongue 
may be braised, and served with spinach or sauce Tartare^ as 
described for sheep's tongues. 

Tongue Slices, with Spinach and Sauce Tartare. 
Braise the tongue as described for sheep's tongues (see page 



146 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 

158): arrange a circle of the slices around a platter, and on 
each slice smooth a little hill (enough for one person) of spin- 
ach prepared as described in the same receipt for "sheep's 
tongues with spinach." Put either a spoonful of sauce Tar- 
tare or a slice of lemon into or on the top of each spinach- 
mold. This makes a nice lunch or dinner dish. 



VEAL. 



The best pieces of veal are the loin and the fillet. A varie- 
ty of dishes can be made with veal cutlets and their different 
accompaniments. Veal is always better cooked with pork or 
ham. Professional cooks generally trim and lard their veal 
xiutlets, serving them with tomato-sauce, pease, beans, breakfast 
bacon, lemon-slices, cucumbers, etc. For a cheap dish, one of 
the most satisfactory is a knuckle of veal made into a ragout, 
or pot -pie. Any of the inferior cuts may be made into a 
blanquette. 

Kfricandeau of veal is perhaps considered the most distin- 
guished veal dish. I would always advise the trimming of 
veal cutlets. It gives little trouble, but the appearance is 
much improved, and the trimmings should be thrown into the 
stock-pot. Veal should always be thoroughly cooked. 

Roast of Veal — the Fillet. 
Take out the bone of the joint; make a deep incision be- 
tween the fillet and the flap ; then fill it with stuffing made as 
follows : Two cupfuls of bread-crumbs, half a cupful of chop- 
ped pork, half a lemon -peel grated, a little juice, thyme, sum- 
mer savory, or any herbs to taste ; or it may be filled with a 
veal stuffing (see page 167). Bind the veal into a round form, 
fasten it with skewers and twine, sprinkle over pepper and salt, 
and cover it with buttered paper. Be careful not to put the 
meat too near the fire at first. Baste well and often. Just be- 
fore it is done, remove the paper, sprinkle over a little flour, 
and rub over it a little butter. This will give a frothy appear- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 147 

ance to the surface of the meat. When done, put the pan of 
gravy on the fire ; add a Httle flour, some boiling water, and, 
when cooked, some lemon-juice. Strain it, remove the grease, 
and pour it around the roast. Fry some pieces of ham cut in 
diamond shape ; place these in a circle around the roast, each 
piece alternated with a slice of lemon. 

A Fricandeau of Veal. 

What is called a fricandeau of veal is simply a cushion of 
veal trimmed into shape, larded, and braised. Cut a thick slice 
(three or four pounds) from a fillet of veal, trim it around as 
in cut for "blind hare" (see page 150), and lard it on top. 
Put some pieces of pork into a braising-kettle, or saucepan, if 
you have no braising-kettle ; also slices of carrot, an onion with 
cloves stuck in, a stick of celery, and some parsley. Put in the 
meat, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and cover it with well-but- 
tered paper. Now fill the pan with boiling stock, or water 
enough to just cover the meat. Put on a tight lid. If it is a 
braising-pan, set it upon the fire, with live coals on top. If a 
common saucepan, cover it, and put it into a hot oven. 

It will take about two hours, or two hours and a half, to cook 
it. A professional cook would boil down the stock in which 
the fricandeau was cooked until reduced to a glaze, then with a 
brush would glaze all the top of the meat, placing it in the oven 
a moment to dry. However, it tastes as well without this extra 
trouble. 

The best sauce for a fricandeau is a tomato - sauce. It is 
as often garnished with green pease, spinach, or sorrel ; or a 
little wine (Madeira, port, or sherry) and roux (see page 51) 
may be added to the braising - stock for a gravy. The gravy 
should be strained, of course. 

Veal Cutlets, Broiled. 

The rib cutlets should always be neatly trimmed, the bone 
scraped at the end, so that . it will look smooth and white. 
Broil them on a moderate fire, basting them occasionally with 
butter, and turning them often. Dish them in a circle with 
tomato-sauce. 



148 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Veal Cutlets, Sauted and Fried. 

These are cutlets cut from the round, although any veal 
cutlets may be cooked in the same way. Cut them into equal- 
sized pieces, beat them a little with a knife to get them into 
shape ; season, eg^, and bread-crumb them. Now, fry in a saute 
pan, or rather saute some thin slices of ham in a little hot lard, 
and when done take them out on a hot dish ; fry slowly the 
cutlets in the same fat, and when done pour out some of the 
fat, if there is more than a tea - spoonful ; add a little flour, 
then a little hot water, and, when cooked a few moments, season 
it well with lemon-juice, adding pepper and salt to taste ; then 
strain it. Serve the cutlets in the centre of a dish, with the 
gravy poured over; and place alternate slices of the ham and 
lemon in a circle around them. 

They are also very good sauted in a little lard, and served 
with a cream gravy poured over ; or they are nice egged (with 
a little chopped parsley and onion mixed with the egg), and 
bread-crumbed, and fried in hot lard. 

Veal Cutlets, Braised. 

Professional cooks usually braise veal cutlets. They lard 
them (an easy matter) all on the same side, the flavor of pork 
particularly well suiting veal. To proceed then: Mince some 
onions and carrots ; put them in the bottom of a stew-pan ; 
put the cutlets on this layer ; cover well with stock (add wine 
if you choose), and let them cook until thoroughly done. 

If you wish to be particular, boil down the stock and glaze 
them ; or make a gravy of the stock with flour, roux, pepper 
and salt, and strain it; or serve them with tomato - sauce ; or 
make a little round hill of mashed potatoes, and put the cutlets 
around ; or serve with them, instead, beans, pease, or flowerets 
of cauliflowers. 

Mutton or Veal Chops (en papillote). 
Trim the chops ; broil them in the usual way over the coals, 
and when done place each one in a paper (well buttered) cut in 
the form of Fig. 1 ; pour over each chop a sauce made as fol- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



149 



lows: For three cutlets tliicken a cupful of strong broth with 
equal quantities of either cold cooked chicken, lamb, or veal, 





and mushrooms (the mushrooms are a great improvement to 
the dish, yet they may be omitted if more convenient) with a 
quarter proportion of cold boiled ham added, and also one or 
two sprigs of parsley, all chopped very fine. Pour this hot over 
the hot cutlets ; place a very thin slice of fat salt pork over 
each cutlet ;* fasten the paper as in Fig. 2, and place them in a 
hot oven for about ten minutes. Serve immediately while the 
chops are steaming hot. 

Blanquette op Veal {French Cook). 
Cut any kind of veal (say two pounds) into pieces ; put it into 
boiling water, with a little bulb of garlic or slice of onion, and 
when done throw the meat from the boiling water into cold 
water, to whiten it. This is the rule, but I usually dispense 
with it. Make a drawn butter sauce, i. e., put butter the size 
of an Qgg into a saucepan, and when it bubbles mix in a table- 
spoonful of flour, which cook a minute, without letting it color ; 
add then two cupfuls of boiling water and a little nutmeg. 
When the veal is done, drain it from the water, and let it sim- 
mer several minutes in the sauce, adding at the same time a 
sprig of parsley chopped fine. When just ready to serve, place 
the pieces of meat on a hot platter; stir the yolks of three 



* The addition of the slice of pork is quite indispensable for veal chops 
en papillote, but it is often omitted when the chops are of mutton. 




150 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

eggs into the sauce without allowing them to boil ; also several 
drops, or a seasoning, of lemon-juice. Pour the sauce over the 
veal, and serve. 

Blind Hare {Mrs. Charles Parsons). 
Ingredients: Three pounds of minced veal, three pounds 
of minced beef, eight eggs well beaten, three stale rolls, or 
the same amount of bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, two grated nut- 
megs, a heaping table- 
spoonful of ground 
cinnamon. Mix all 
well together. Form 
it into an oval-shaped 
loaf, smooth it, and 
sprinkle bread or cracker crumbs over the top. Bake it in a 
moderate oven about three hours. It is to be sliced when cold. 

Bewitched Veal [Mrs. Judge Emhry), 
Ingredients : Three pounds of lean veal, half a pound of fat 
salt pork, one nutmeg grated, one small onion, butter the size 
of an egg, a little red pepper, and salt. 

Chop all very fine, and mix them together, with three eggs 
well beaten, and a tea-cupful of milk ; form it into a small loaf, 
pressing it very firmly ; cover it with fine bread-crumbs ; bake 
two hours and a half. It is intended to be eaten cold, yet is 
very good hot. The slices may be served in a circle around 
salad. 

Plain Veal Stew or Pot-pie. 
Cut the meat from a knuckle of veal into pieces not too 
small; put them into a pot with some small pieces of salt 
pork, and plenty of pepper and salt; pour over enough hot 
water to cover it well, and let it boil until the meat is thor- 
oughly done; then, while the water is still boiling, drop in 
(by the spoonful) a batter made with the following ingredi- 
ents : Two eggs well beaten, two and a half or three cupfuls 
of buttermilk, one even tea-spoonful of soda, and flour enough 
to make a thick batter. Cover the pot, and as soon as the bat- 
ter is well cooked, serve it. By standing, it becomes heavy. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 15i 

To Cook Liver {Melanie Lourant), No. 1. 
Put a little lard into a saucepan, and when hot throw in 
half an onion minced fine, one or two sprigs of parsley, chop- 
ped, and the slices of calf's liver. Turn the liver several times, 
allowing it to cook well and imbibe the taste of the onion and 
parsley. When cooked, place it at the side of the fire. In 
another saucepan make a sauce as follows : Put in a piece of 
butter size of a large hickory -nut, and when it bubbles sprin- 
kle in a heaping tea -spoonful of flour; stir it until it assumes 
a fine brown color, then pour in a cupful of boiling water, stir- 
ring it well with the egg-whisk ; add pepper, salt, a table-spoon- 
ful of vinegar, and a heaping table -spoonful of capers. The 
sauce is very nice without the capers, but very much improved 
with them. Drain out the slices of liver, which put into the 
sauce, and let them remain at the side of the fire until ready to 
serve. Chopped pickle may be substituted for the capers, and 
stock may be used instead of the boiling water. 

To Cook Liver (No. 2). 
Fry in a saute pan some thin slices of breakfast bacon, and 
when done put them on a hot dish; fry then thin slices of 
liver in the same fat, which have previously been thrown into 
boiling water for only a moment, and then been sprinkled with 
flour. When well done on both sides, serve them and the 
bacon on the same dish, and garnish them with slices of lemon. 

Calf's Brains. 
Before cooking, remove the fibrous membranes around them. 
Throw them into a pint of cold water, in which are mixed half a 
tea-spoonful of salt and one tea-spoonful of vinegar ; boil them 
three minutes, then plunge them into cold water. When cold 
and about to be served, cut them into scollops ; and when sea- 
soned with pepper and salt, egged, and bread - crumbed, saute 
them in a little hot butter. Serve with tomato-sauce. Or they 
may be served with spighetti (a small macaroni) cooked with 
tomato -sauce (see page 210), and placed around them, when 
they are called brains a la Milanaise. 



153 PEACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



SWEET-BREADS. 
Veal sweet-breads are best. They spoil very soon. The 
moment they come from market, they should be put into cold 
water, to soak for about an hour ; lard them, or rather draw a 
lardoon of pork through the centre of each sweet-bread, and 
put them into salted boiling water, or, better, stock, and let them 
boil about twenty minutes, or until they are thoroughly done ; 
throw them then into cold water for only a few moments. 
They will now be firm and white. Remove carefully the skin 
and little pipes, and put them in the coolest place until ready 
to cook again. The simplest way to cook them is the best 
one, as follows : 

Fried Sweet-breads. 

Parboil them as just explained. Just before serving, cut them 

in even -sized pieces, sprinkle over pepper and salt, egg and 

bread-crumb them, and fry them in hot lard. They are often 

immersed in boiling lard, yet oftener fried in the saute pan. If 

sauted, when done 
put them on a hot 
dish, turn out part 
of the lard from the 
saute pan, leaving 
about half a tea- 
spoonful ; pour in a cupful of milk thickened with a little flour ; 
let it cook, stirring it constantly, and season it with pepper and 
salt ; strain, and pour over the sweet-breads. With green pease, 
serve without sauce. This is the usual combination at dinner 
or breakfast companies, the pease in the centre of the dish, 
and the sweet -breads around (see cut above). Or they are 
often served whole with cauliflower or asparagus heads, when 
the cream - sauce is poured over both ; or they are also nice 
piled in the centre of a dish, with macaroni (cooked with 
cheese) placed around them like a nest, and browned a little 
with a salamander (see cut on next page), or with a tomato- 
sauce in the centre of the dish, and the sweet-breads around, or 
with stuffed tomatoes alternating with the sweet-breads on the 





PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 153 

dish, or with mushrooms in the centre, or served on a dish made 
of boiled rice, called a rice casserole (see page 205), or in little 
rice molds called cassolettes. To make the latter, boil the rice 
well, then work it to 
a smooth paste with 
a spoon; fill some 
little buttered patty- ^^^ 
pans with the rice, "=^^8 
and when it is quite 
cold take it out, brush the cassolettes with butter on the out- 
side, and color them a little in a hot oven ; scoop out the in- 
side, leaving the rice crust a quarter of an inch thick. Fill the 
cassolettes with the sweet-breads cut into pieces, and pour over 
each a spoonful of cream dressing ; or they may be sauted as 
described, and served with a maitre-d' hotel sauce poured over. 

Sweet-breads A la Milanaise. 
Sweet-breads fried as in preceding receipt are placed in the 
centre of a hot platter. Small piped macaroni broken into 
two or three inch lengths is cooked with tomatoes as in receipt 
(see page 210), and neatly arranged in a circle around them. 

Sweet-breads Larded and Braised {English Lady). 
Trim all the skin and cartilage very carefully from two fine 
sweet-breads ; lay them in cold water for an hour, and lard them ; 
lay some slices of bacon in the bottom of a braising - pan, or 
any pan with a good cover (Francatelli would add also minced 
onions, carrots, celery, and parsley; however, they are quite 
good enough without) ; then put in sweet-breads, with slices of 
bacon between the pan and the sweet -breads; pour over all 
some stock, just high enough not to touch the larding, which 
must stand up free ; let it simmer very gently for half or 
three-quarters of an hour. Look at it occasionally to see that 
the stock does not waste ; add a little if it does. When done, 
hold a salamander or a hot kitchen shovel over the sweet-breads 
until they are a pale-yellow color on top. Serve these with 
tomato -sauce poured in the centre of the dish. The whole 
dish should look moist, the sweet-breads nearly white, and the 

7* 



154 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

larding transparent, standing up distinct and firm, like glass, 
white at the bottom, and pale-yellow on top. 

Baked Sweet-breads {Nqw York Cooking-school). 
Put a pair of sweet -breads on the fire in one quart of cold 
water, in which are mixed one tea-spoonful of salt and one ta- 
ble-spoonful of vinegar. When the water boils, take them off, 
and throw them into cold water, leaving them until they get 
cold ; now lard them with lardoons about one-eighth of an inch 
square and two inches long. Chop rather fine one -third of a 
medium -sized onion (one ounce), four or five slices of carrot 
(one and a half ounces), half a stalk of celery, and one sprig of 
parsley. Put in the bottom of a baking-dish trimmings of pork ; 
on this place the sweet-breads, and sprinkle the chopped vege- 
tables over the top ; bake them twenty minutes in a hot oven. 
Cut a slice of bread into an oval or any fancy shape, and fry it 
in a saute pan in a little hot butter, coloring it well ; put this 
crouton in the centre of a hot platter, on which place the sweet- 
breads. Serve pease or tomato-sauce around. 

Sweet-bread Fritters. 
Parboil the sweet -breads as before explained, and cut them 
into slices about half an inch thick ; then sprinkle over them pep- 
per and salt, a little grated nutmeg, some finely chopped pars- 
ley, and a few drops of lemon-juice ; dip them each into French 
fritter batter (see page 229) ; fry them a moment in boiling-hot 
lard. Always test the lard before frying by putting in a piece 
of bread or a bit of the batter ; if it turns yellow readily, it is 
hot enough. Drain them well ; pile them on a napkin neatly ar- 
ranged on a platter ; garnish them with fried parsley, i. e., pars- 
ley thrown into the lard, and skimmed out almost immediately. 

Sweet-bread Croquettes {New York Cooking-school). 
After two pairs of sweet-breads are blanched (boiled in salt- 
ed water as described), cut them into dice ; cut also half a box 
(four ounces) of mushrooms into dice. Make a roux by putting 
one and a half ounces of butter into a saucepan, and when it 
bubbles sprinkle in two ounces of flour ; mix and cook it well ; 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



155 




then pour in a gill of strong stock or cream ; when this is also 

mixed, add the dice, 

which stir over the 

fire until they are 

thoroughly heated; 

take them from the 

fire, add the beaten 

yolks of two eggs, 

which return to the fire a moment to set, without allowing to 

boil. When cool, form into croquettes; roll them first in 

cracker - crumbs, then in Qgg^ then in cracker - crumbs again, 

and fry them in boiling lard. 

The croquettes may be cone - shaped, with a stick of parsley 
or celery pressed in the top for a stem just before serving ; or 
the sweet -bread croquettes may be made in the same manner 
as chicken croquettes (French cook receipt), substituting sweet- 
breads for the chickens. They may be served alone, or with 
pease, or with tomato or Bechamel sauce, etc. 

Skewer of Sweet-breads. 
Parboil the sweet-breads as before described ; cut them into 
slices or scollops about half an inch or more thick; sprinkle 

them with pepper 
and salt, and egg 
and bread - crumb 
them ; now run a 
little skewer (see 
page 56) through 
two of these slices, 
alternating with two thin, square slices of bacon ; fry in boil- 
ing lard ; serve a tomato or cream sauce in the centre, and gar- 
nish with parsley. Serve one skewerful to each person at table. 




MUTTON. 

The best roasts are the leg, the saddle, and the shoulder of 
mutton. They are all roasted according to the regular rules 
for roasting. In England, mutton is hung some time before 



156 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

cooking. There must be something in the- air of England quite 
different from that of America in reference to the hanging of 
meats and game ; there, it is to be confessed, the mutton, after 
having hung a certain length of time, certainly is most deli- 
cious; here it would be unwholesome, simply not fit to eat. 
These joints of which I speak are also good braised. Serve 
currant -jelly -sauce with the roast, or garnish it with stuffed 
baked tomatoes. 

Boiled Leg of Mutton. 
This should be quite fresh. Put it into well-salted boiling 
water, which do not let stop boiling until the meat is thor- 
oughly done. The rule is to boil it a quarter of an hour for 
each pound of meat. Caper-sauce should be served with this 
dish, either in a sauce-boat or poured over the mutton ; garnish 
with parsley. 

Mutton Cutlets. 

Trim them well, scraping the bones; roll them in a little 
melted butter or oil, season, and broil them ; or they are nice 
egged, bread - crumbed, and fried. They are especially nice 
when broiled, served around a bed of mashed boiled potatoes : 
the cutlets help to season the potatoes, which in turn well 

suit the meat. To- 
mato-sauce is also a 
favorite companion 
to the cutlets. They 
may, however, be 
served with almost 
any kind of vegeta- 
bles, such as pease or string-beans, in the centre of the dish, 
and the cutlets arranged in a circle around. 

Ragouts (mac?e of Pieces of Mutton, Veal, Beef or Rahhits). 
Cut the upper parts, or the neck, from a fore-quarter of mut- 
ton (or take inferior cuts from any part) into pieces for a ra- 
gout ; heat a heaping table-spoonful of drippings, or lard, in a 
saucepan, and when hot saute in it the pieces of mutton (say 
two pounds) until they are almost done ; take them out, put in 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 157 

a table-spoonful of flour, brown it, add at first a little cold or 
lukewarm water, mix it well, then add a quart of boiling water ; 
now add also salt, Cayenne pepper, two cloves, the pieces of 
sauted meat, three or four onions (not large), and six or seven 
peeled potatoes. Some prefer to boil the potatoes a few min- 
utes in other water first, as the water in which potatoes are 
boiled is considered unwholesome; cover the stew-pan well. 
When the vegetables are cooked, take them and the meat out, 
skim off every particle of fat from the gravy, taste to see if it 
is properly seasoned, pour it over the ragout, and serve. 

These ragouts can be made with the neck, or any pieces of 
veal, in the same manner, or with pieces of beef, in which case 
carrots might be substituted for the potatoes. A ragout of rab- 
bits is most excellent made in the same way, adding a glassful 
of red wine when it is almost done. 

In buying a fore quarter of mutton, there are enough trim- 
mings for a good ragout, with a shapely roast besides. 

Another Ragout {of Pieces of Mutton^ Veal, Beef etc.). 
Make rich pie -paste about the size of an Qgg (for four per- 
sons) ; roll it a quarter of an inch thick ; cut it into diamonds, 
say an inch long and half an inch broad. Bake them, and put 
them aside until five minutes before serving the ragout. Take 
mutton, veal, beef, or almost any kind of meat. Any cheap 
cut of meat will make a good ragout, and choice cuts had bet- 
ter be cooked in other ways. In this instance, I will say, cut 
two pounds from the side of mutton. Put a table - spoonful 
of lard or drippings into a saucepan, and when hot saute in it 
the pieces of mutton ; when half done, place them in a kettle. 
Add a heaping table-spoonful of flour to the drippings in the 
saucepan; stir it constantly several minutes to brown, then 
add gradually a pint of hot water ; now pour this over the 
meat in the kettle, adding three small onions, two sprigs of 
parsley, three cloves, and a clove or bulb of garlic, if you have 
it ; pepper and salt. Cover it closely, and let it simmer slowly 
for an hour, occasionally turning the kettle to one side to skim 
off all the fat. Five minutes before serving, add the diamonds 
of crust. 




158 PBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

At the moment of serving, take out the meat, crust, and 
three onions, and arrange them on a hot platter. Pass the 
gravy through a sieve, and skim off every remaining particle of 
fat ; taste to see if it is properly seasoned with pepper and salt, 
and pour it over the meat. 

Sheep's Tongues, with Spinach. 
Braise a number of sheep's-tongues with salt pork, parsley, 
onion, some whole peppers, a tea-spoonful of sugar, and enough 
stock to cover them. Let them simmer one and a half hours. 

Serve with spinach in 
the centre of the dish, 
and seasoned with lem- 
on-juice, a little of the 
tongue stock, some Cay- 
enne pepper, salt, and 
butter. Serve the tongues around it, and diamonds or fancy 
cuts of fried bread {croutons) around the outside circle. 

Sheep's Tongues A la Mayonnaise. 
Boil half a dozen sheep's tongues with one or two slices of 
bacon, one carrot, one onion, two cloves, two or three sprigs of 
parsley, salt and pepper (some add two table-spoonfuls of sher- 
ry or port wine, but this may be omitted), and enough boil- 
ing water (or, better, stock) to cover them. Let them simmer 
about one and a half hours, replenishing the boiling water or 
the stock when necessary. When thoroughly done, skin and 
trim them neatly ; lay them between two plates, to flatten them. 
A professional cook would glaze them with the stock boiled 
down in which they were cooked ; however, this is only for the 
sake of appearance. Arrange them in a circle around a dish, 
with a Mayonnaise sauce poured in the centre. 

Sheep's Tongues, with Sauce Tartars. 
Boil the tongues in salted water into which has been 
squeezed the juice of half a lemon (for six tongues). Serve 
with sauce Tartare (see page 128). 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 159 

LAMB. 

The best roasts are the fore and hind quarters. 

Roast Leg of Lamb. 
Professional cooks serve a roast or baked hind quarter of 
Iamb rather rare, or well done on the outside and pink within. 
It is really better, although it must be served steaming hot. 
Serve a caper, pickle, or mint sauce with it. If it is neatly 
carved through the centre, it will present a good appearance 
served again the next day, by stuffing the cut-out space with 
boiled mashed potatoes, smoothing it evenly around, and placing 
it long enough in the oven to become thoroughly hot. 

Roast Fore Quarter of Lamb. 
This may or may not be partly stuffed, a common veal stuff- 
ing answering the purpose very well. It should be well season- 
ed with pepper and salt, thoroughly cooked, and often basted. 

Lamb Chops. 

This is a favorite dinner - company dish, generally arranged 
in a circle around green pease. They should be neatly trim- 
med, the bones scraped, then rolled in a little melted butter, 
and carefully broiled. When done, rub more butter over them, 
and season them with pepper and salt. Slip little paper ruf- 
fles (see page 61) over the ends of the bones. They may be 
served with a centre 
of almost any kind 
of vegetable, such as 
a smooth hemisphere 
of mashed potatoes 
or spinach, or with 
beans, cauliflowers or stuffed baked tomatoes, or with a tomato- 
sauce. 

Saddle of Lamb or Mutton. 

This is considered a delicate roast. Roast it in the usual 
manner. Serve caper, mint, or any of the sauces or vegetables 
that are used with other dishes of lamb or mutton. 




160 FRAGTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEE GIVING. 

Lamb Croquettes 
are made the same as chicken croquettes, only substituting cold 
cooked lamb for the chicken. Many prefer the lamb to the 
chicken croquettes, even for dinner or lunch parties. 

Sheep's Kidneys. 

The best manner of cooking is to saute them. They must 
be perfectly fresh (they spoil soon), sauted on a quick fire, never 
allowed to boil in the sauce (this would spoil the gravy), and 
served with a little wine in the sauce. 

First cut them into slices ; season, and saute them in a little 
hot suet, clarified drippings, or butter. When done, put them 
on a hot plate. Now take a second stew-pan, put in a piece 
of butter the size of a large hickory -nut; when it is hot, 
throw in a tea-spoonful of minced onion, two sprigs of parsley, 
minced also, and a tea-spoonful of fiour; when they become 
red, pour in one and a half cupfuls of hot water or stock. Let 
it simmer a few moments, then season with pepper and salt, 
and strain it ; now add a table-spoonful of sherry or port wine, 
and the pieces of kidney. A few drops of lemon-juice may or 
may not be added. Let the kidney remain a few moments in 
the sauce without boiling, and serve. Professional cooks gen- 
erally add minced mushrooms; but the dish is quite good 
enough without them. 



PORK. 
A LITTLE salted pork or bacon should always be kept in the 
house. I confess to having a decided prejudice against this 
meat, considering it unwholesome and dangerous, especially in 
cities, unless used in the smallest quantities. Yet pork makes a 
delicious flavoring for cooking other meats, and thin, small slices 
of breakfast bacon are a relishing garnish for beefsteak, veal 
cutlets, liver, etc. In the country, perhaps, there is less cause 
for doubt about its use, where the animal is raised with corn, 
and where much outdoor life will permit the taking of strong- 
er food. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 161 



To Cure Bacon. 
For every three hundred pounds of pork use fourteen pounds 
of common salt, and one pound each of brown sugar and salt- 
petre. Rub them into the meat, and let it lie for three weeks, 
rubbing and turning it occasionally. Then wipe dry, rub again 
with dry fine salt, wrap it in a thick cloth (canvas) or paper, 
and hang it in a cool, dry place. 

Roast Little Pig. 

I trust entirely to the following receipt. Any one who fan- 
cies can cook a little pig, not I. 

The pig should be three weeks old, well cleaned, and stuffed 
with a dressing of this proportion: Two large onions, four 
times the quantity of bread-crumbs, three tea - spoonfuls of 
chopped sage, two ounces of butter, half a salt-spoonful of pep- 
per, one salt-spoonful of salt, and one egg. Or it may be filled 
with a veal force-meat stuflSng, if preferred ; or, it may be stuf- 
fed with hot mashed potatoes. Sew it together with a strong- 
thread, trussing its fore legs forward and its hind legs back- 
ward. Rub the pig with butter, flour, pepper, and salt. Roast 
it at first before a very slow fire, as it should be thoroughly 
done; or, if it is baked, the oven should not be too hot at 
first. Baste it very often. When done (in about three hours), 
place a cob or a potato in the mouth, having put something 
in at first to keep it open. Serve it with apple-sauce or toma- 
to-sauce. 

Roast Pork. 

The roasting pieces are the spare rib, the leg, the loin, the 
saddle, the fillet, and the shoulder. They may be stuffed with 
a common well - seasoned sage stuffing. The skin, if left on, 
should be cut in lines forming little squares; if the skin is 
taken off, sprinkle a little pounded sage over all, and put over 
it a buttered paper. Be careful, in roasting pork, to put the 
meat far enough from the fire at first, as it must be thoroughly 
done. The rule for the time of roasting pork is twenty min- 
utes for each pound. Baste it at first with butter, and after- 
ward with its own drippings. A roast loin of pork is very 



163 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

nice (allowing it to remain well sprinkled with salt an hour or 
two before roasting) served with cabbage cooked with a little 
vinegar, or served with sauer-krout. 

Broiled Pork Cutlets (Dubois). 
Take a fresh neck of pork (free from fat) ; shorten the bones 
of the ribs, and remove those of the chine ; cut six cutlets off 
each neck, taking them a little obliquely ; trim them, season, 
and roll them in melted butter and bread-crumbs. Broil them. 
Pour into a stew-pan four or five table-spoonfuls of vinegar, 
and double its volume of stock or gravy ; let it boil, and thick- 
en it with a little flour. Pass it through a sieve, and add to it 
pepper and some spoonfuls of chopped pickles. Dish the cut- 
lets in a circle, and pour over them the sauce ; or pork cutlets 
may be fried or sauted in a stew-pan, in a little hot lard, and 
served with the same sauce. 

Pork and Beans. 

Soak a quart of beans overnight. The next day boil them 
with a sliced onion, one large onion to a quart of beans (they 
will not taste of the onion), and when they are almost done, put 
them into a baking-dish, taking out the onions. Almost bury 
in the centre of the beans a quarter of a pound of salt pork ; 
pour in some of the water in which the beans were boiled, 
and bake about an hour. 

Another way is to omit the onions, and after parboiling the 
beans put them into the bake-pan with one large spoonful of 
molasses and a quarter of a pound of pork, and bake them two 
hours. 

Boston Baked Beans. 

Put one and one-half pints of medium-sized navy beans into 
a quart bean-pot ; fill it wdth water, and let it stand overnight. 
In the morning, pour off the water, and cover the beans with 
fresh water in which is mixed one table-spoonful of molasses. 
Put a quarter of a pound of pickled pork in the centre, leaving 
a quarter of an inch of pork above the beans. Bake them 
eight hours with a steady fire, and, without stirring the beans, 
add a cupful of hot water every* hour but the last two. Earth- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 163 

en pots with narrow mouths are made expressly for baking 
beans. Cooking them in this manner, without first boiUng 
them, renders each bean perfectly whole and at the same time 
thoroughly cooked. When done, place the pork in the centre 
of a platter, with the beans around it. 

Entree of Apples and Pork. 

Cut sour apples (pippins) into slices without skinning them ; 
fry or saute them with small strips of pork. Serve both, taste- 
fully arranged, on the same dish. 

Sausages {Warne). 

" Two pounds and a half of pork, fat and lean mixed (three 
times as much lean as fat), one ounce of fine salt, a quarter of 
a pound of pepper, two tea-spoonfuls of powdered sage, a quar- 
ter of a tea-spoonful of allspice, and a quarter of a tea-spoonful 
of cloves. Chop the meat as fine as possible : there are ma- 
chines for the purpose. Mix the seasoning well through the 
whole ; pack the sausage-meat down hard in stone jars, which 
should be kept in a cool place, well covered. When wanted 
for use, form them into little cakes, dip them in beaten ^gg^ 
then in wheat flour, and fry them in hot lard." 

Always serve apple-sauce with pork sausages. Two dishes 
never suited better. For breakfast, it would be well to have a 
centre of apple-sauce on a platter, with sausages around, or vice 
versa. They are a fine garnish for a roast turkey. 

It is said that sausages will keep forever, by frying them and 
putting them in little jars, with a cover of hot lard. 

To Cure Hams {Mrs. Lestlie). 
For one hundred pounds of fine pork take seven pounds of 
coarse salt, five pounds of brown sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, 
half an ounce of soda, and four gallons of water. Boil all to- 
gether, and skim the pickle when cold. Pour it on the meat, 
which should first be rubbed all over with red pepper. Let 
hams and tongues remain in the pickle eight weeks. Before 
they are smoked, hang them up, and dry them two or three 
days. Then sew the hams in cases. 



164 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



To Boil Ham. 

If it is quite salt, let it soak twenty-four hours. Cut off the 
end of the knucMe-bone ; put it into a pot with cold water at 
the back of the range to simmer slowly for eight hours ; then 
take it off the fire, and let it remain in the water until nearly 
cold ; then peel off the skin carefully, make spots at uniform 
distances with pepper, and wind fringed paper around the bone. 
Mrs. Lestlie boils her hams with a bed of hay in the bottom 
of the pot. Some sprinkle grated bread or crackers over the 
ham when trimmed, and brown it in the oven ; others brush it 
thickly over with glaze. However well cooked, it would be ut- 
terly ruined if it were not cut into thin, neat slices for eating. 

Ham and Eggs. 
The ham, cut into thin slices, can be broiled or sauted. If 
broiled, spread over a little butter when cooked. The eggs can 
be fried ; but they are more wholesome poached in salted wa- 
ter. In both cases they should be carefully cooked, neatly 
trimmed, and an Qgg served on each slice of ham. 

To Fry or Saute Ham. 
The ham should be cut into thin, neat slices, and sauted only 
for a minute in a hot saute pan. If it is much more than 
thoroughly heated, it will become tough and dry. 

Pork Fried in Batter, or Egged and Bread-crumbed. 
Roll very thin slices of breakfast bacon or fat pork in fritter 
batter, or Qgg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in boiling 
lard. Serve on toast or fried mush as a dish by itself, or as a 
garnish for beefsteak, fried chickens, breaded chops, etc. 

Mrs. Trowbridge's Breakfast-bacon Dish. 
Soak slices of bacon or pork in milk for fifteen minutes; 
then dip them into flour, and fry them in the saute pan. 
When done, saute some slices of potato in the same hot fat, 
and serve them in the centre of a hot dish, with a circle of 
the slices of pork around them. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 165 

Rashers of Pork {to serve with Beefsteak, Roast Beef, etc.). 
Breakfast bacon should be cut very thin (one-eighth of an 
inch thick), and in strips three or four inches long. It should 
be fried in the saute pan only long enough to become trans- 
parent, or thoroughly hot ; if cooked crisp, it is ruined. The 
French usually serve these strips of bacon laid over beefsteak, 
roast beef, game, etc. 

Sandwiches {Mrs. Geo. H. Williams), No. 1. 

Cut some fresh bread very thin, and of square equal shapes. 
Chop some cold boiled ham very fine, and mix with it the 
yolks of one or two uncooked eggs, a little pepper and mus- 
tard. Spread some of this mixture over the buttered slices of 
bread ; roll them, pinching each roll at the end to keep it in 
shape. 

If there is difficulty in cutting fresh bread, use that which 
is a day old, then cut it in very thin slices, buttering it on the 
loaf before it is cut ; cut the slices into little even squares or dia- 
monds (the crust being all removed), spread with the chopped 
ham mixture before mentioned, and fit two squares together. 

Sandwiches {Neio York Cooking-school), No. 2. 
Chop fine half a pound of boiled ham, and season it with 
one table - spoonful of olive -oil, one table - spoonful of lemon- 
juice, a little cayenne or mustard, and rub it through a sieve. 
Butter the bread on the loaf before cutting it, and spread the 
ham between the slices. 

Small Rolls, with Salad Filling. 

Cut off a little piece of the top of a French roll, and re- 
move carefully the crumb from the inside. Prepare a stuffing 
of cold chicken, tongue, and celery (cut in dice), mixed in May- 
onnaise dressing, and fill the roll, covering the top with the small 
piece cut off. 

This makes a very nice lunch dish, or a lunch for traveling. 
The rolls may be filled with cold cooked lobster, cut into little 
dice, and covered with a Mayonnaise dressing. 



166 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

POULTRY. 

If care is taken in picking and dressing fowls or birds, there 
is no need of washing them. In France it is never done, unless 
there is absolutely something to wash off ; then it is done as del- 
icately as possible. In expostulating once with an old negro 
auntie for soaking all the blood and flavor out of a fowl, she 
quickly replied, " Bless my soul, child ! haven't I cooked chick- 
ens for fifty years ?" 

When you buy a goose or a duck, be sure that it is young, 
never buy an old duck. The first I ever bought were from a 
penful at market. I thought myself very clever in choosing the 
largest, all being one price ; not so clever at dinner, when my 
husband tried to carve those tough and aged drakes. 

Roast Turkey. 

The secret in having a good roast turkey is to baste it often, 
and to cook it long enough. A small turkey of seven or eight 
pounds (the best selection if fat) should be roasted or baked 
three hours at least. A very large turkey should not be cooked 
a minute less than four hours ; an extra hour is preferable to a 
minute less. If properly basted, they will not become dry. 

With much experience in hotel life, where turkeys are ruined 
by the wholesale, I have never seen a piece of turkey that was 
fit to eat. Besides being tasteless, they are almost invariably un- 
dercooked. First, then, after the turkey is dressed, season it well, 
sprinkling pepper and salt on the inside ; stuff it, and tie it well 
in shape ; either lard the top or lay slices of bacon over it ; wet 
the skin, and sprinkle it well with pepper, salt, and flour. It is 
well to allow a turkey to remain some time stuffed before cook- 
ing. Pour a little boiling water into the bottom of the dripping- 
pan. If it is to be roasted, do not put it too near the coals at 
first, until it gets well heated through ; then gradually draw it 
nearer. The excellence of the turkey depends much upon the 
frequency of basting it ; occasionally baste it with a little but- 
ter, oftener with its own drippings. Just before taking it from 
the fire or out of the oven, put on more melted butter, and 
sprinkle over more flour; this will make the skin more crisp 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 167 

and brown. While the turkey is cooking, boil the giblets well ; 
chop them fine, and mash the liver. When the turkey is done, 
put it on a hot platter. Put the baking-pan on the fire, dredge 
in a little flour, and when cooked stir in a little boiling water 
or stock ; strain it, skim off every particle of fat ; add the giblets ; 
season with salt and pepper. If chestnut stuffing is used, add 




some boiled chestnuts to the gravy ; this is decidedly the best 
sauce for a turkey. Besides the gravy, always serve cranberry 
(see receipt, page 204), currant, or plum jelly with turkey. These 
are more attractive molded the day before they are served. The 
currant or plum jelly is melted and remolded in a pretty form. 
Roast turkeys are often garnished with little sausage-balls. 

Stuffing for Baked Turkey, Chicken, Veal, and Lamb 
{New York Cooking-school). 
Soak half a pound of bread (with the crust cut off) in tepid 
water, then squeeze it dry. Put three ounces of butter into a 
stew-pan, and when hot stir in a small onion minced (one and 
a half ounces), which color slightly ; then add the bread, with 
three table - spoonfuls of parsley (half an ounce) chopped fine, 
half a tea-spoonful of powdered thyme, a little grated nutmeg, 
pepper, salt, and a gill of stock. Stir it over the fire until it 
leaves the bottom and sides ; then mix in two eggs. 

Stuffing for Roast Turkeys, Chickens, Ducks, and Geese. 
The commonest stuffing is this : Two onions, five ounces of 
soaked and squeezed bread, eight sage leaves, an ounce of but- 
ter, pepper, salt, one ^gg, a little piece of pork minced. Mince 
the onions, and fry them in the saute pan before adding them 



168 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

to the other ingredients. Some chopped celery is always a 
good addition. 

Chestnut, Potato, Veal, and Oyster Stuffings. 

The chestnut stuffing is made by adding chestnuts to the or- 
dinary stuffing. They are put on the fire in a saucepan or spi- 
der to burst the skins ; they are then boiled in very salted water 
or stock; some are also put into the sauce. Or turkeys, etc., 
may be stuffed with boiled, mashed, and seasoned sweet -pota- 
toes or Irish potatoes. 

The great cooks make extra trouble and expense in preparing 
a force-meat stuffing of cold veal, cold ham, bacon, and a few 
bread-crumbs, mixed and seasoned with cayenne, salt, lemon- 
juice, summer savory, parsley, or any sweet herbs. Then they 
often add truffles cut into little balls ; or, an oyster stuffing is 
made by merely adding plenty of whole oysters (not chopped) 
to the ordinary turkey bread stuffing. It should be well season- 
ed, or the oysters will taste insipid. 

Boiled Turkey. 
If a boiled turkey is not well managed, it will be quite taste- 
less. Choose a hen turkey. If not well trussed and tied, the 
legs and wings of a boiled fowl will be found pointing to all 
the directions of the compass. Cut the legs at the first joint 
and draw them into the body. Fasten the small ends of the 
wings under the back, and tie them securely with strong twine. 
Sprinkle over plenty of salt, pepper, and lemon -juice, and put 
it into boiling water. Boil it slowly two hours, or until quite 
tender. It is generally served in a bed of rice, with oyster, 
caper, cauliflower, parsley, or Hollandaise sauce. Pour part of 
the sauce over the turkey. Reserve the giblets for giblet soup. 
It can be stuffed or not, the same as for roasting. 

Turkey or Chicken Hash 
is made like beef hash, only substitutin'g turkey or chicken for 

beef. 

Turkey Braised. 

If you have an old turkey unfit for roasting or boiling, braise 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 169 

it for four or five hours, adding a little wine (toward the last) 
to the stock, if you choose. 

Turkey Galantine, or Boned Turkey. 

Choose a fat hen turkey. When dressing it, leave the crop 
skin (the skin over the breast) whole ; cut off the legs, wings, 
and neck. Now slit the skin at the back, and carefully remove 
it all around. Cut out the breasts carefully; cut them into 
little elongated pieces, about a quarter of an inch square and 
an inch long (parallelograms) ; or cut them any way you like. 
Season them with pepper, salt, a little nutmeg, mace, pound- 
ed cloves, sweet basil, and a little chopped parsley, all mixed. 
Now make a force-meat, 
with a pound and a quar- 
ter of lean veal or fresh 
pork, well freed from 
skin and gristle. Mix 
this with the meat of 
the turkey (all but the 
breasts) ; chop it well. Then chop an equal volume of fresh 
bacon, which mix with the other chopped meat : season this 
with the condiments last mentioned. Now pound it in a 
mortar to a paste. Cut one pound of truflfles, half a pound 
of cooked pickled tongue, and half a pound of cooked fat ba- 
con, into three-quarter-inch dice. Season these also. 

Spread the turkey skin on a board. Make alternate layers 
on it, first of half of the force - meat, then half of the turkey 
breasts, then half of the dice of tongue, trufl3es, and bacon, then 
turkey fillets and dice again : save some of the force-meat to put 
on the last layer. Now begin at one side and roll it over, giving 
it a round and long shape ; sew up the skin ; wrap it, pressing 
it closely in a napkin ; tie it at the extremities, and also tie it 
across in two places, to keep it in an oval shape with round ends. 

Boil the galantine gently for four hours in boiling water (or, 
better, in stock), with the bones of the turkey thrown in. At 
the end of that time, take the stew-pan off the fire. Let the 
galantine cool in the liquor one hour ; then drain it, and put it 
on a dish with a seven-pound weight on it. 




170 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



When cold, take the galantine out of the napkin ; put it at 
the end of an open oven for some minutes to melt the fat, 
which wipe off with a cloth ; glaze it, or sprinkle it with a lit- 
tle egg and fine bread-crumbs, and bake it a few minutes. It 
is, of course, to be sliced when eaten. It is generally served 
placed on a wooden standard, as described for a Mayonnaise of 
salmon. 

A boned turkey, or galantine, is seen at almost all large par- 
ties. It is convenient to have one in the house, as it will keep 
for a long time, and is very nice for lunch or tea. It costs ten 
dollars to buy one, and about half of the amount to make it. 
Of course, it is some trouble to make; yet if one's time is 
worth less than one's money, there is plenty of time for the 
purpose, as it can be made three or four days before an enter- 
tainment. Chicken and game galantines are made in the same 
way. The figure on page 169 is a boned turkey or chicken 
prepared for boiling. 

Mixed Spices for Seasoning. 
In cities, mixed spices can be purchased, which are prepared 
by professional cooks, and which save much trouble to inexpe- 
rienced compounders. This is one of their receipts : " Take of 
nutmegs and mace, one ounce each ; of cloves and white pepper- 
corns, two ounces each ; of sweet basil, marjoram, and thyme, 
one ounce each, and half an ounce of bay leaves : these herbs 
should be previously dried for the purpose. Roughly pound the 
spices, then place the whole of the above ingredients between 
two sheets of white paper, and after the sides have been fold- 
ed over tightly, to prevent the evaporation of the volatile prop- 
erties of the herbs and spices, place them in a warm place to 
become perfectly dry. They must then be pounded quickly, 
put through a sieve, corked up tightly in bottles, and kept for 
use. 

A Simple Way of Preparing Boned Turkey or Chicken. 

Boil a turkey or chicken in as little water as possible, until the 

bones can easily be separated from the meat. Remove all of 

the skin ; slice and mix together the light and dark parts ; 



PM ACTIO AL COOEIJVG, AND DINNER GIVING. 171 

season with pepper and salt. Boil down the liquid in which 
the turkey or chicken was boiled ; then pour it on the meat. 
Shape it like a loaf of bread ; wrap it tightly in a cloth ; press 
it with a heavy weight for a few hours. When served, it is cut 
into thin slices. 

CHICKENS. 

One is absolutely bewildered at the hundred dishes which are 
made of chickens. Most of the entrees are prepared with the 
breasts alone, called fillets. There are houdins and quenelles of 
fowls, and fillets of fowls a la Toulouse^ a la marechale^ etc., 
etc., and supreme of fillets of fowls a Vecarlate, etc., and aspics 
of fowls ; then, chickens a la Marengo^ a la Lyonnaise^ a la 
reine ; then, marinades and capitolades of chickens, and fricas- 
sees of chickens of scores of names. I would explain some of 
these long -sounding terms if this book were not already too 
long, and if at last they were any better than when cooked in 
the more simple ways. 

Spring Chickens. 

The excellence of spring chickens depends as much on feed- 
ing as on cooking them. If there are conveniences for building 
a coop, say five feet square, on the ground, where some spring 
chickens can be kept for a few weeks, feeding them with the 
scraps from the kitchen, and grain, they will be found plump, 
the meat white, and the flavor quite different from the thin, 
poorly fed chickens just from market. 

The Southern negro cooks have certainly the best way of 
cooking spring chickens, and the manner is very simple. Cut 
them into pieces, dip each piece hastily in water, then sprinkle it 
with pepper and salt, and roll it in plenty of flour. Have some 
lard in a saute pan very hot, in which fry, or rather saute, the 
chickens, covering them well, and watching that they may not 
burn. When done, arrange them on a hot dish ; pour out the 
lard from the spider, if there is more than a tea -spoonful; 
throw in a cupful or more of milk, or, better, cream thickened 
with a little flour ; stir it constantly, seasoning it with pepper 
and salt ; pour it over the chickens. It makes a pleasant 
change to add chopped parsley to the gravy. 



173 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

A nice dish is made by serving cauliflowers in the same plat- 
ter with the dressing poured over both; or with potatoes cut 
out in little balls, and boiled in very salt water, served in the 
same way ; or they may be surrounded with water-cresses. 

Spring Chickens, Baked. 
Cut them open at the back, spread them out in a baking- 
pan, sprinkle on plenty of pepper, salt, and a little flour. Baste 
them well with hot water, which should be in the bottom of 
the pan, also at different times with a little butter. When 
done, rub butter over them, as you would beefsteak, and set 
them in the oven for a moment before serving. 

Roast and Boiled Chickens. 
Chickens are roasted and boiled as are turkeys. In winter 
there is no better way of cooking chickens than to boil them 
whole, and pour over them a good caper or pickle sauce just 
before serving. A large tough chicken is very good managed 
in this manner. Of course, the chicken should be put into 




boiling water, which should not stop boiling until the chicken 
is entirely done. With this management it will retain its fla- 
vor, yet the water in which it is boiled should always be saved 
for soup. It is a valuable addition to any kind of soup. The 
cut represents a chicken in a bed of rice. 

Baked Chickens or Fish {for Camping Parties). 
Dress the chickens or fish, making as small incisions as pos- 
sible, and without removing the skin, feathers, or scales. Fill 
them with the usual bread stuffing, well seasoned with chopped 
pork, onion, pepper, and salt. Sew the cut quite firmly. Cov- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 173 

er the chicken or fish entirely with wet clay, spreading it half 
an inch to an inch thick. Bury it in a bed of hot ashes, with 
coals on top, and let it bake about an hour and a quarter if it 
weighs two pounds. The skin, feathers, or scales will peel off 
when removing the cake of clay, leaving the object quite clean, 
and especially delicious with that " best of sauces, a good appe- 
tite ;" however, there is no reason why a camping party should 
not indulge in other sauces at the same time. 

A chicken may be surrounded in the same way with a paste 
of flour and water, and baked in the oven. 

A Fricassee of Chicken. 
Cut two chickens into pieces. Reserve all the white meat 
and the best pieces for the fricassee. The trimmings and the 
inferior pieces use to make the gravy. Put these pieces into a 
porcelain kettle, with a quart of cold water, one clove, pepper, 
salt, a small onion, a little bunch of parsley, and a small piece 
of pork ; let it simmer for half an hour, and then put in the 
pieces for the fricassee; let them boil slowly until they are 




quite done ; take them out then, and keep them in a hot place. 
Now strain the gravy, take off all the fat, and add it to a roux 
of half a cupful of flour and a small piece of butter. Let this 
boil ; take it off the stove and stir in three yolks of eggs mix- 
ed with two or three ^able-spoonfuls of cream ; also the juice 
of half a lemon. Do not let it boil after the eggs are in, or 
they will curdle. Stir it well, keeping it hot a moment ; then 
pour it over the chicken, and serve. Some of the fricassees 
with long and formidable names are not much more than wine 
or mushrooms, or both, added to this receipt. 



174 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 

Fricassee of Chicken {Mrs. Gratz Brown). 
Saute a chicken (cut into pieces) with a little minced onion, 
in hot lard. When the pieces are brown, add a table-spoonful 
of flour, and let it cook a minute, stirring it constantly. Add 
then one and a half pints of boiling water or stock, a table- 
spoonful of vinegar, a table - spoonful of sherry, a tea-spoonful 
of Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. When it is taken ofE 
the fire, strain the sauce, taking off any particles of fat ; mix in 
the yolk of an egg. Pour it over the chicken, and serve. 

Ranaque Chickens. 
After the first experience in making this chicken dish, it is 
not difficult to prepare, and it makes an exceedingly nice course 
for dinner. With a sharp penknife, slit the chicken down the 
back ; then, keeping the knife close to the bones, scrape down 
the sides, and the bones will come out. Break them at the joints 
when coming to the drumsticks and wing-bones. These bones 
are left in. Now chop fine, cold cooked lamb enough to stuff 
the chicken; season it with pepper, salt, one even tea -spoon- 




ful of summer savory, two heaping table-spoonfuls of chopped 
pork, and plenty of lemon-juice, or juice of one lemon. Stuff 
the chicken, and sew it, giving it a good shape ; turn the ends 
of the wings under the back, and tie thelh there firmly, also the 
legs of the chicken down close to the back, so that the top 
may present a plump surface, to carve in slices across, without 
having bones in the way. Now lard the chicken two or three 
rows on top. If you have no larding-needle, cut open the skin 
with the penknife, and insert the little pieces of pork, all of 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 175 

equal length and size. Bake this until it is thoroughly done, 
basting it very often (once or twice with a little butter). Pour 
a tomato - sauce (see page 125) around it in the bottom of the 
dish in which it is served. 

Chicken Breasts. 
Trim the breasts of some chickens to resemble trimmed lamb 
chops. Stick a leg bone (the joints cut off at each end) into 
the end of each cutlet ; pepper and salt them, roll them in flour, 
and fry them in a saute pan with butter. Serve them in a cir- 
cle in a dish with pease, mashed potatoes, cauliflowers, beans, 
or tomatoes, or almost any kind of vegetable, in the centre. 
They are still nicer larded on one side, choosing the same side 
for all of them. When larded, they should not be rolled in 
flour. This is a very nice course for a dinner company. These 
fillets are also nice served in a circle, with the same sauce 
poured in the centre as is served with deviled chicken. 

Deviled Chicken, with Sauce [Cunard Steamer). 

The chicken is boiled tender in a little salted water. When 
cold, it is cut into pieces ; these pieces are basted with butter, 
and broiled. 

Sauce. — One tea-spoonful of made mustard, two table-spoon- 
fuls of Worcestershire sauce, three table-spoonfuls of vinegar ; 
boil all together, and pour over the chicken. This dish is gen- 
erally served on the Cunard steamers for supper. Or, boil the 
chickens, cut them into pieces, pepper and salt them, roll them 
in flour, saute them in a little hot lard, and serve cream-sauce, 
the same as for fried spring chickens. This makes a good win- 
ter breakfast. 

Chicken Croquettes {French Cook). 
Boil one chicken, with an onion and a clove of garlic (if you 
have it) thrown into the water, add some bones and pieces of 
beef also ; this will make a stock, if you have not some already 
saved. Cut the chicken, when cooked, into small dice ; mince 
half of a large onion, or one small one, and two sprigs of pars- 
ley together. Put into a saucepan a piece of butter the size of 




176 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

a small egg', when hot, put in the minced onion and parsley 
and half a cupful of flour; stir well until it is well cooked 

and of a light-brown color ; then 
add a cupful and a half of stock, 
or of the stock in the kettle, boiled 
down or reduced until it is quite 
strong, then freed of fat; the 
stronger the stock, the better of 
course. Stir it into a smooth paste, add pepper, salt, not quite 
half of a grated nutmeg, the juice of about a quarter of a lem- 
on, and two table-spoonfuls of sherry, Madeira, or port wine. 
When all is well stirred, mix in the pieces of chicken. Mold 
into the ordinary croquette shape, or into the form of pears. 
When they are egged and cracker-crumbed, fry them in boiling- 
hot lard. If they are molded into pear shape, a little stem of 
parsley may be stuck into each pear after it is cooked, to repre- 
sent the pear stem. 

Chicken Croquettes {Mrs, Chauncey I. Filley). 
Ingredients : Two chickens and two sets of brains, both boiled ; 
one tea-cupful of suet, chopped fine ; two sprigs of parsley, chop- 
ped ; one nutmeg, grated ; an even table-spoonful of onion, after it 
is chopped as fine as possible ; the juice and grated rind of one 
lemon ; salt and black and red pepper, to taste. Chop the meat 
very fine ; mix all well together ; add cream until it is quite 
moist, or just right for molding. This quantity will make two 
dozen croquettes. Now mold them as in cut (see above) ; dip 
them into beaten egg, and roll them in pounded cracker or 
bread-crumbs ; fry in boiling-hot lard. Cold meat of any kind 
can be made into croquettes following this receipt, only substi- 
tuting an equal amount of meat for the chicken, and of boiled 
rice for the brains. Cold lamb or veal is especially good in 
croquettes. Cold beef is very good also. Many prefer two cup- 
fuls of boiled rice (fresh boiled and still hot when mixed with 
the chicken) for the chicken croquettes, instead of brains. 

Chicken Cutlets. 
These cutlets are only chicken croquettes in a different form. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 177 

Prepare them like trimmed lamb chops, in the following man- 
ner : Make a shape pointed at one end and round at the other ; 
then press it with the blade of a knife, giving it the shape of a 
cutlet. Egg and bread-crumb these cutlets, and fry them in boil- 
ing lard ; then stick in a paper ruffle at the pointed end. Serve 
them, one cutlet overlapping the other, in a circle, with a tomato- 
sauce in the centre of it, or around a pile of mushrooms or of 
pease. This is considered a very palatable dish for a dinner 
company. 

Chicken, with Macaroni or with Rice (French Cook). 

Cut the chicken into pieces ; fry or saute them in a little hot 
drippings, or in butter the size of an egg ; when nearly done, put 
the pieces into another saucepan; add a heaping tea -spoonful 
of flour to the hot drippings, and brown it. Mix a little cold or 
lukewarm water to the roux ; when smooth, add a pint or more 
of boiling water ; pour this over the chicken in the saucepan, 
add a chopped sprig of parsley, a clove of garlic, pepper, and 
salt. Let the chicken boil half or three-quarters of an hour, or 
until it is thoroughly done ; then take out the pieces of chicken. 
Pass the sauce through a sieve, and remove all the fat. Have 
ready some macaroni which has been boiled in salted water, and 
let it boil in this sauce. Arrange the pieces of chicken tastefully 
on a dish ; pour the macaroni and sauce over them, and serve ; 
or, instead of macaroni, use boiled rice, which may be managed 
in the same way as the macaroni. 

Chetney of Chicken {Mrs. E. L. Youmans). 

Ingredients : One large or two small chickens, one-quart can 
of tomatoes, butter the size of a pigeon's egg^ one table-spoonful 
of flour, one heaping tea-spoonful of minced onion, one tea- 
spoonful of minced pork, one small bottle of chetney (one gill). 

Press the tomatoes through a sieve. Put the butter (one 
and a half ounces) into a stew-pan, and when hot throw in the 
minced onions ; cook them a few minutes, then add the flour, 
which cook thoroughly ; now pour in the tomato pulp, season- 
ed with pepper, salt, and the minced pork, and stir it thorough- 
ly with an es^g-whisk until quite smooth, and then mix well into 

8* 



178 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

it the chetney, and next the cooked chicken cut into pieces. The 
chicken may be sauted (if young) in a little hot fat, or it may 
be roasted or boiled as for a fricassee. The chicken is neatly 
arranged on a hot platter, with the sauce poured over. Slices 
of beef (the fillet preferable) may be served in the same way 
with the chetney sauce. 

This chetney is an Indian sauce, and can be procured at the 
first-class groceries. 

Curry of Chicken {Mrs. Youmans). 

Cut the chicken into pieces, leaving out the body bones ; sea- 
son them with pepper and salt; fry them in a saute pan in but- 
ter ; cut an onion into small slices, which fry in the butter until 
quite red; now add a tea -cupful of stock freed from fat, an 
even tea-spoonful of sugar, and a table-spoonful of curry-pow- 
der, mixed* with a little flour ; rub the curry-powder and flour 
smooth with a little stock before adding it to the saucepan ; put 
in the chicken pieces, and let them boil two or three minutes ; 
add then the juice of half a lemon. Serve this in the centre of 
a bed of boiled rice. 

Veal, lamb, rabbits, or turkey may be cooked in the same way. 
The addition of half a cocoa-nut, grated, is an improvement. 

Chickens for Supper {Mrs, Roberts^ of Utica). 

After having boiled a chicken or chickens in as little water 

as possible until the meat falls from the bones, pick off the 

meat, chop it rather fine, and season it well with pepper and 

salt. Now put into the bottom of a mold some slices of hard- 




boiled eggs, next a layer of chopped chicken, then more slices 
of eggs and layers of chicken until the mold is nearly full ; boil 
down the water in which the chicken was boiled until there is 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 179 

about a cupful left, season it well, and pour it over the chicken ; 
it will sink through, forming a jelly around it. Let it stand 
overnight or all day on the ice. It is to be sliced at table. If 
there is any fear about the jelly not being stiff enough, a little 
gelatine may be soaked and added to the cupful of stock. Gar- 
nish the dish with light - colored celery leaves, or with fringed 
celery. 

To Fringe Celery for Garnishing. 

Cut the stalks into two-inch lengths ; stick plenty of coarse 
needles into the top of a cork ; draw half of the stalk of each 
piece of celery through the needles. When all the fibrous parts 
are separated, lay the celery in some cold place to curl and 
crisp. 

Chicken Livers. 

Chop a little onion, and fry it in butter without allowing it 
to color ; put in the livers and some parsley, and fry or saute 
them until they are done ; take out the livers, add a little hot 
water or stock to the onions and parsley, thicken it with some 
flour {rouXy page 51) ; strain, season, and pour it over the 
livers. 

K stale bread is cut into the shape of a small vase or cup, 
then fried to a good color in boiling lard, it is called a croustade. 
One of these is often used with chicken livers. Part of the 
livers are put in the top of the croustade in the centre of the 
dish, and the remainder are placed around it at the base. The 
dish is called " croustade of livers." 

Turkish Pilau. 
Truss one chicken (two and a half pounds) for boiling, and 
cut five pounds of shoulder of mutton (boned) into two pieces, 
which roll into shape ; put some trimmings of pork (enough to 
keep the meat from sticking) into a large saucepan, and when 
hot place in the chicken and the rolls of mutton, and brown 
them completely by turning them over the fire. Now make what 
is called a bouquet, viz. : Put a bay leaf on the table ; on this 
place three or four sprigs of parsley, one sprig of thyme, half 
of a shallot, four cloves, and one table-spoonful of saffron (five 



180 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

cents' worth), and tie all together, leaving one end of the string 
long, to hang over the top of the saucepan for convenience in 
taking out the bouquet. Put the chicken, the mutton, the bou- 
quet, and a pinch of salt and pepper into three quarts of boil- 
ing water ; twenty minutes before they are done (it will require 
a short hour to cook them), put in five ounces of rice (soaked 
an hour in cold water) ; when done, take out the bouquet ; put 
the chicken in the centre of a warm platter ; cut the mutton 
into slices or scollops about half an inch thick, and form them 
in a circle by lapping one over the other around the chicken. 
Pour the hot soup (freed from grease) over the chicken ; or the 
chicken may be cut into joints (seven pieces), and the circle 
around the platter may be formed of the chicken pieces and 
mutton scollops alternating, with the soup poured in the centre. 



GEESE, DUCKS, AND GAME. 

Roast Goose. 
The goose should be absolutely young. Green geese are 
best, i. e.y when they are about four months old. In trussing, 
cut the neck close to the back, leaving the skin long enough to 
turn over the back ; beat the breast-bone flat with the rolling- 
pin; tie or skewer the legs and wings securely. Stuff the 
goose with the following mixture : Four large onions (chopped), 
ten sage leaves, quarter of a pound of bread-crumbs, one and 
a half ounces of butter, salt and pepper, one egg, a slice of 
pork (chopped). Now sprinkle the top of the goose well with 
salt, pepper, and flour. Reserve the giblets to boil and chop 
for the gravy, as you would for a turkey. Baste the goose 
repeatedly. If it is a green one, roast it at least an hour and 
a half ; if an older one, it would be preferable to bake it in 
an oven, with plenty of hot water in the baking -pan. It 
should be basted very often with this water, and when it is 
nearly done baste it with butter and a little flour. Bake it 
three or four hours. Decorate the goose with water - cresses, 
and serve it with the brown giblet gravy in the sauce-boat. 
Always serve an apple-sauce with this dish. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 181 

Goose Stuffing {Soyer's Receipt). 
Take four apples peeled and cored, four onions, four leaves 
of sage, and four of thyme. Boil them with sufficient water 
to cover them ; when done, pulp them through a sieve, remov- 
ing the sage and thyme ; then add chough pulp of mealy pota- 
toes to cause the stuffing to be sufficiently dry, without stick- 
ing to the hand. Add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird. 

Ducks. 

Truss and stuff them with sage and onions as you would 
a goose. If they are ducklings, roast them from twenty-five to 
thirty minutes. Epicures say they like them quite under-done, 
yet, at the same time, very hot. Full-grown ducks should be 
roasted an hour, and frequently basted. Serve with them the 
brown giblet gravy or apple-sauce, or both. Green pease should 
accompany the dish. Many parboil ducks before roasting or 
baking them. If there is a suspicion of advanced age, parboil 
them. 

Wild Ducks. 

Wild ducks should be cooked rare, with or without stuffing. 
Baste them a few minutes at first with hot water to which have 
been added an onion and salt. Then take away the pan, and 
baste with butter, and a little flour to froth and brown them. 
The fire should be quite hot, and twenty to twenty-five minutes 
are considered the outside limit for cooking them. A brown 
gravy made with the giblets should be served in the bottom 
of the dish. Serve also a currant-jelly. Garnish the dish with 
slices of lemons. 

Duck and Pease Stewed (Warne). 
Remains of cold roast duck, with peel of half a lemon, one 
quart of green pease, a piece of butter rolled in flour, three- 
quarters of a pint of gravy, pepper, salt, and cayenne to taste. 
Cut the duck into joints ; season it with a very little Cayenne 
pepper and salt, and the yellow peel of half a lemon minced 
fine. Put it into a stew-pan, pour the gravy over, and place 
the pan over a clear fire to become very hot ; but do not let 



182 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the stew boil.* Boil a quart of green young pease ; when they 
are done, drain off the water, add some butter, pepper, and salt. 
Warm this again over the fire. Pile the pease in the centre of 
a hot dish ; arrange the pieces of duck around them, and serve. 

Stewed Duck. 
Cut the duck into joints. Put the giblets into a stew-pan, 
adding water enough to cover them for the purpose of making 
a gravy. Add two onions, chopped fine, two sprigs of parsley, 
three cloves, a sage leaf, pepper, and salt. Let the gravy sim- 
mer until it is strong enough, then add the pieces of duck. 
Cover, and let them stew slowly for two hours, adding a little 
boiling water when necessary. Just before they are done, add 
a small glassful of port-wine and a few drops of lemon-juice. 
Put the duck on a warm platter, pour the gravy around, and 
serve it with little diamonds of fried bread (croutons) placed 
around the dish. 

Fillets of Duck. 

Roast the ducks, remove the breasts or fillets, and dish them 
in a circle. Pour over a poivrade sauce, and fill the circle with 
olives. 

Poivrade Sauce. 

Mince an onion ; fry it a yellow color, with butter, in a stew- 
pan ; pour on a gill of vinegar ; let it remain on the fire until a 
third of it is boiled away ; then add a pint of gravy or stock, a 
bunch of parsley, two or three cloves, pepper, and salt ; let it 
boil a minute ; thicken it with a little butter and flour {roux) ; 
strain it, and remove any particles of fat. 

Pigeons Stewed in Broth. 
Unless pigeons are quite young, they are better braised or 
stewed in broth than cooked in any other manner. In fact, I 
consider it always the best way of cooking them. Tie them in 
shape ; place slices of bacon at the bottom of a stew-pan ; lay 
in the pigeons, side by side, all their breasts uppermost; add 

* If the fowls are not tender, add a little water, and. stew them slowly 
until they are. — Ed. 



rR ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER QIVINO. 



183 




a sliced carrot, an onion, with a clove stuck in, a tea-spoonful 
of sugar, and some parsley, and pour over enough stock to cover 
them. If you have no 
stock, use boiling wa- 
ter. Now put some 
thin slices of bacon 
over the tops of the 
pigeons ; cover them 
as closely as possible, adding boiling water or stock when nec- 
essary. Let them simmer until they are very tender. Serve 
each pigeon on a thin piece of buttered toast, with a border of 
spinach, or make little nests of spinach on pieces of toast, put- 
ting a pigeon into each nest. 

Roast Pigeons. 

Never roast pigeons unless they are young and tender. Aft- 
er they are well tied in shape, drawing the skin over the back, 
tie thin slices of bacon over the breasts, and put a little piece 
of butter inside each pigeon. File them on a skewer, and roast 
them before a brisk fire until thoroughly done, basting them 
with butter. 

Pigeons Broiled. 

Split the pigeons at the back, and flatten them with the 
cutlet bat ; season, roll them in melted butter and bread-crumbs, 
and broil them, basting them with butter. Or, cut out the 
breasts (fillets), and broil them alone. Serve them on thin 
pieces of toast. Make a gravy of the remaining portions of 
the pigeons, and pour it over them. 

Prairie-chicken or Grouse. 

They are generally split open at the back and broiled, rub- 
bing them with butter ; 
yet as all but the breast 
is generally tough, it is 
better to fillet the chick- 
en, or cut out the breast. 
The remainder of the 
chicken is cut into joints and parboiled. These pieces are then 




184 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEM GIVING, 

broiled with the breasts (which, please remember, are not par- 
boiled) after rubbing butter over them all. As soon as they 
are all broiled, sprinkle pepper and salt, and put a little lump 
of butter, on top of each piece, which then place for a few mo- 
ments in the oven to soak the butter. Serve with currant- 
jelly. For fine entertainments the breasts alone are served. 
Each breast is cut into two pieces, so that one chicken is suffi- 
cient for four persons. If the dish is intended for breakfast, 
serve each piece of breast on a small square piece of fried mush 
(see receipt, page 73). If for dinner, serve each piece on a 
square of hot buttered toast, with a little currant-jelly on top 
of each piece of chicken. Garnish the plate with any kind of 
leaves, or with water-cresses. At a breakfast party I once saw 
this dish surrounded with Saratoga potatoes. The white pota- 
toes, dark meat, and red jelly formed a pretty contrast. 

To Choose a Young Prairie-chicken. 
Bend the under bill. If it is tender, the chicken is young. 

Prairie-chicken or Grouse Roasted. 
Epicures think that grouse (in fact, all game) should not 
be too fresh. Do not wash them. Do not wash any kind of 
game or meat. If proper care be taken in dressing them they 
will be quite clean, and one could easily wash out all their 
blood and flavor. Put plenty of butter inside each chicken: 
this is necessary to keep it moist. Roast the grouse, half an 
hour and longer, if liked thoroughly done; baste them con- 
stantly with butter. When nearly done, sprinkle over a little 
flour and plenty of butter to froth them. After having boiled 
the liver of the grouse, mince and pound it, with a little butter, 
pepper, and salt, until it is like a paste ; then spread it over 
hot buttered toast. Serve the grouse on the toast, surrounded 
with water-cresses. 

Quails Parboiled and Baked. 

Tie a thin slice of bacon over the breast of each bird ; put 
the quails into a baking-dish, with a little boiling water ; cover 
it closely and set it on top of the range, letting the birds steam 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEU GIVING. 185 

ten or fifteen minutes. This plumps them. Then take off the 
cover and the pork, and put the birds into the oven, basting 
them often with butter. Brown them, and serve with currant- 

Quails Roasted. 
Cover the breasts with very thin slices of bacon, or rub them 
well with butter ; roast them before a good fire, basting them 
often with butter. Fifteen minutes will cook them sufficiently, 
if they are served very hot, although twenty minutes would be 
my rule, not being an epicure. Salt and pepper them. SerVe 
on a hot dish the moment they are cooked. They are very 
good with a bread-sauce made as follows : 

Bread-sauce, for Game {Mrs. Crane). 
First roll a pint of dry bread-crumbs, and pass half of them 
through a sieve. Put a small onion into a pint of milk, and 
when it boils remove the onion, and thicken the milk with the 
half -pint of sifted crumbs ; take it from the fire, and stir in a 
heaping tea -spoonful of butter, a grating of nutmeg, pepper 
and salt. Put a little butter into a saute pan, and when hot 
throw in the half -pint of coarser crumbs which remained in 
the sieve ; stir them over the fire until they assume a light- 
brown color, taking care that they do not burn, and stir into 
them a small pinch of Cayenne pepper. They should be rather 
dry. For serving, put a plump roast quail on a plate, pour 
over a table -spoonful of the white sauce, and on this place 
a table-spoonful of the crumbs. The sauce-boat and plate of 
crumbs may be passed separately, or the host may arrange 
them at table before the birds are passed. This makes a dish 
often seen in England. 

Cutlets of Quails or of Pigeons. 

With a sharp-pointed knife carefully cut the breasts from 
quails or pigeons ; or, as professional cooks say, fillet them. 
At the small end of each breast stick in a bone taken from the 
leg, and trimmed. The breasts should now resemble cutlets. 
Sprinkle a little pepper and salt over each one, dip it in melted 
butter, and roll it in flour or sifted cracker-crumbs. Put the 



186 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 

cutlets one side until ready to cook, as they should be cooked 
only just before sending them to the table. They should then 
be fried in a saute pan in hot butter. They may be served 
without further trouble in a circle with a centre of green 
pease, which makes a most delicate dish for a company dinner 
course. However, there is a more elaborate way of finishing 
them, as follows : Put the carcasses into some cold water with 
very small pieces of pork and onion, sufficient only to produce 
the slightest flavoring. Simmer this about an hour; strain, 
thicken with a little browned roux, and season it with a little 
pepper and salt. As soon as the livers are done, take them 
out, mash, and moisten them with a little of the sauce. Pre- 
pare little thin pieces of toast, one for each breast ; butter, 
and spread them with the mashed livers. Turn the cutlets 
over in this sauce, and use the little of it that remains for 
dipping in the pieces of toast. Serve the cutlets on the toast 

in a circle, with a centre 
of pease, French string- 
beans {haricots verts), 
potatoes a la Pari- 
sienne, or mushrooms ; 
or cut the pieces of toast 
into the form of a long triangle, so that the points may meet in 
the centre, and place the bones of the cutlets to meet in the cen- 
tre also. Put then a row of vegetables on the outside. 

Scollops of Quails, with Truffles {Gouffe). 
Remove the fillets or breasts of six quails. Cut each fillet in 
two, and trim the parts to a round shape. Cook half a pound 
of truffles in Madeira, and cut them into slices. Put the scol- 
lops of quails into a saute pan with some butter ; fry them un- 
til they are done, then mix them with the truffles. Put a nice 
border on a dish ; pile the centre with the scollops and truffles ; 
pour in some Espagnole or brown sauce, flavored with a little 
Madeira, and serve. Truffles can be procured canned. 

Espagnole Sauce. 
Melt butter the size of an ^^g ; when hot, add to it two or 




PBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 187 

three table-spoonfuls of flour. Stir this carefully over a slow 
fire until it has taken a clear, light-brown color. Mix in this 
one half -pint of stock, broth, or gravy ; then put it to the side 
of the fire to simmer until wanted, skimming it carefully, and 
not allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan. Strain it. 
Just before serving it with the quails, add one or two tea-spoon- 
fuls of Madeira. 

Quails Broiled. 

Split them at the back. Broil, basting them often with but- 
ter, over a hot fire. As soon as the quails are done, add a lit- 
tle more butter, with pepper and salt, and place them for a mo- 
ment into the oven to soak the butter. Serve them on thin 
slices of buttered toast, with a little currant-jelly on top of each 
quail. 

Quails Braised. 

Quails are sometimes braised in the same manner as pigeons. 
(See receipt.) 

Snipe and Woodcock Fried. 

Dress and wipe them clean. Tie the legs close to the body ; 
skin the heads and necks, and tie 
the beaks under the wing ; tie, also, '^ifj^A 

a very thin piece of bacon around 
the breast of each bird, and fry 
in boiling lard. It only requires a 
few moments — say two minutes — 
to cook them. Season and serve 
them on toast. Some pierce the 
legs with the beak of the bird, as 
in the cut. 

Snipe and Woodcock Roasted. 
The following is the epicure's manner of cooking them, not 
mine. Carefully pluck them, and take the skin off the heads 
and necks. Truss them with the head under tlfe wing. Twist 
the legs at the first joint, pressing the feet against the thigh. 
Do not draw them. Now tie a thin slice of bacon around each ; 
run a small iron skewer through the birds, and tie it to a spit at 




188 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



both ends. Roast them at a good fire, placing a dripping-pan, 
with buttered slices of toast under them, to catch the trail as 
Baste the snipe often with a paste -brush dipped in 



it falls. 




melted butter. Let them roast twenty minutes ; then salt the 
birds, and serve them immediately on the pieces of toast. 

Reed-birds {Henry Ward Beecher'^s Receipt). 
Cut sweet -potatoes lengthwise; scoop out in the centre of 
each a place that will fit half the bird. Now put in the birds, 
after seasoning them with butter, pepper, and salt, tying the 
two pieces of potato around each of them. Bake them. Serve 
them in the potatoes. Or, they can be roasted or fried in boil- 
ing lard like other birds. 

Plovers 
are cooked in the same way as quails or partridges. 

Pheasants 
are cooked in the same way as prairie-chickens or grouse. 



VENISON. 



The Saddle of Venison. 



This is, perhaps, the most distinguished venison dish. Make 
rather deep incisions, following the grain of the meat from 
the top, and insert pieces of pork about one-third of an inch 
square, and one inch and a half or two inches long ; sprinkle 
over pepper, salt, and a little flour. Roast or bake the veni- 
son before a hot fire or in a hot oven, about two hours for an 
eight-pound roast. Baste often. Serve a currant-jelly sauce 
in the sauce-boat. 

A good accompaniment at table for a roast of venison is a 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 189 

dish of potatoes a la neige (see page ^192), the dark meat and 
white potatoes forming a pretty contrast. 

Roast or Baked Haunch of Venison. 

Cut off part of the knuckle -bone, round it at the other ex- 
tremity, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and cover the whole with 
a paste of flour and water or coarse corn -meal; tie firmly a 
thick paper around. Place it near the fire at first to harden 
the paste, basting well the paper to keep it from burning ; then 
remove it a little farther from the fire. Have a strong, clear fire. 
It will take about three hours to roast this joint, at the end of 
which time remove the paste. Careme would glaze it. This 
is, after all, a simple operation. It is a stock boiled down to 
a firm jelly, the jelly melted, and spread upon the meat with a 
brush. Put some frills of paper around the bone, and serve 
currant-jelly with it. If it be baked, the paste should cover it in 
the same way. It would also take the same length of time to 
cook. 

The neck of venison makes a good roast also. 

To Broil Venison Steaks. 

Have the gridiron hot ; broil, and put them on a hot dish ; 
rub over them butter, pepper, salt, and a little melted currant- 
jelly. Some cooks add a table- spoonful of Madeira, sherry, or 
port to the melted currant- jelly. 

K one does not wish to serve the jelly, simply garnish the 
dish with lemon-slices. 

Stewed Venison. 

Cut it into steaks ; spread over them a thin layer of stuflSng 
made with bread-crumbs, minced onion, pai*sley, pepper, salt, 
and a little pork chopped fine ; now roll them separately, and 
tie them each with a cord ; stew them in boiling water or 
stock. Thicken the gravy with flour and butter mixed (see 
roux, page 51), and add one or two spoonfuls of sherry or port 
wine. 

Rabbits Roasted. 

Skin and dress the rabbits as soon as possible, and hang them 



190 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

overnight. Roast them before a moderate fire, basting them 
with butter and a little flour when nearly done. 

Rabbits Baked. 

After they are skinned, dressed, and hung overnight, put 
them into a baking -pan; sprinkle over pepper and salt, and 
put also a thin slice of bacon on the top of each rabbit. Now 
pour some boiling water into the bottom of the pan, and cover 
it with another pan of equal size, letting the rabbits steam about 
fifteen or twenty minutes ; then take off the cover, baste them 
with a little butter, and let them brown. 

Rabbits are much improved by larding. 



VEGETABLES. 

To Preserve the Color of Vegetables. 
The French cooks very generally use carbonate of ammonia 
to preserve the color of vegetables. What would lay on the 
point of a penknife is mixed in the water in which the vege- 
tables (such as pease, spinach, string-beans, and asparagus) are 
boiled. The ammonia all evaporates in boiling, leaving no ill 
effects. They say also that it prevents the odor of boiling cab- 
bage. It may be obtained at the drug-stores. 

Potatoes Boiled. 
Choose those of equal size. They look better when thinly 
peeled before they are boiled; but it is more economical to 
boil them before skinning, as careless cooks generally pare 
away half of the potato in the operation, and the best part 
of the potato is that which lies nearest the skin. Put them 
into an iron pot or saucepan in just enough well -salted cold 
water to cover them. Let them boil until they are nearly 
done ; then pour off all but about half a cupful of the water in 
the bottom of the pot ; return the potatoes to the fire, put on 
a close cover, and let them steam until quite done ; then remove 
the lid, sprinkle salt over them, and let them remain a few mo- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 191 

ments on the fire to evaporate the water. Remove them care- 
fully, and serve immediately. They should be dry and flaky. 

If one has a cook too heedless to steam the potatoes proper- 
ly, it should be remembered that potatoes should never be al- 
lowed to soak in the water a moment after they are done ; the 
water should be immediately poured off, and the steam evapo- 
rated. It is important that potatoes should be done just at the 
moment of serving. It requires about thirty-five minutes to boil 
the medium-sized. 

To Boil Potatoes {Captain Kater to Mrs. Acton). 

Pare the potatoes; cover them with cold water; boil them 
gently until they are done. Pour off the water, and sprinkle 
salt over them ; then with a spoon take each potato and lay it 
into a clean, warm cloth ; twist this so as to press all the moist- 
ure from the vegetable, and render it quite round ; turn it care- 
fully into a dish placed before the fire ; throw a cloth over ; and 
when all are done, send them to the table immediately. Pota- 
toes dressed in this way are mashed without the slightest trou- 
ble. 

Mashed Potatoes. 

Every one thinks she can make so simple a dish as that of 
mashed potatoes ; but it is the excellence of art to produce 
good mashed as well as good boiled potatoes. In fact, I be- 
lieve there is nothing so diflScult in cookery as to properly 
boil a potato. 

To mash them, then, first boil them properly. Put into a 
hot crock basin, which can be placed at the side of the fire, 
half a cupful or more of cream, a piece of butter the size of 
an egg, plenty of salt and pepper, and let them get hot. One 
of the secrets of good mashed potatoes is the mixing of the 
ingredients all hot. Now add six or seven potatoes the mo- 
ment they are done, and mash them without stopping until 
they are as smooth as possible ; then work them a very few 
moments with a fork, and serve them immediately. Do not 
rub egg over, and bake them; that ruins them. Much de- 
pends upon mashed potatoes being served at table hot, and 
freshly made. They are very .nice prepared a la neige. 



192 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEB GIVING. 



Potatoes a la Neige. 
These are mashed potatoes made as in the preceding receipt, 
pressed through a colander into a dish in which they are to be 
served. The potatoes then resemble rice or vermicelli, and are 
very light and nice. They make a pretty dish, and must be 
served very hot. They make a favorite accompaniment to 
venison, and are often served around a rolled rib roast of beef. 

To Bake Potatoes. 

The potatoes must be of equal size. Put them into a hot 
oven and bake until tender. The excellence of baked potatoes 
depends upon their being served immediately when they are 
just baked enough. A moment underdone, and they are indi- 
gestible and worthless ; a moment overdone, and they have be- 
gun to dry. It requires about an hour to bake a large potato. 
This is a favorite way of cooking potatoes for lunch or tea. 

Potatoes in Cases. 
The following is an exceedingly nice way of serving baked 
potatoes. Bake potatoes of equal size, and when done, and 
still hot, cut off a small piece from each potato ; scoop out care- 
fully the inside, leaving the skin unbroken ; mash the potato 

well, seasoning it with 
plenty of butter, pep- 
per, and salt; return it 
with a spoon to the 
potato skin, allowing it 
to protrude about an 
inch above the skin. 
When enough skins are filled, use a fork or knife to make 
rough the potato which projects above the skin ; put all into 
the oven a minute to color the tops. It is better, perhaps, to 
color them with a salamander. They will have the appearance 
of baked potatoes burst open. 

Potatoes Baked with Beef. 
Pare potatoes of equal size, and put them into the oven in 




PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 193 

the same pan in which the beef is baked. Every time the beef 
is b^kSted, the potatoes should be basted also. Serve them around 
the beef. 

Potatoes a la Pa^isienne. 

Peel the potatoes, and with a vegetable-cutter (three-fourths 
of an inch in diameter) cut as many little balls as you can from 
each potato ; throw these balls into boiling - hot lard, and fry 
(about five minutes) until done, when they must be skimmed out 
immediately. It is more convenient to fry them in a wire-bas- 
ket (see page 53). Sprinkle salt over them as soon as done. It 
is a very good way of cooking potatoes as a garnish for beef- 
steak or game. The cuttings of the potatoes left after taking 
out the balls can be boiled and mashed. These potatoes must 
be served when done, or the crusts will lose their crispness. 

Saratoga Potatoes. 

It requires a little plane, or potato or cabbage cutter, to cut 
these potatoes. Two or three fine, large potatoes (ripe new 
ones are preferable) are selected and pared. They are cut, by 
rubbing them over the plane, into slices as thin or thinner than 
a wafer. These are placed for a few moments in ice, or very 
cold water, to become chilled. Boiling lard is now tested, to 
see if it is of the proper temperature. The slices must color 
quickly ; but the fat must not be so hot as to give them a dark 
color. 

Place a salt - box on the hearth ; also a dish to receive the 
cooked potatoes at the side ; a tin plate and perforated ladle 
should be at hand also. Now throw, separately, five or six 
slices of the cold potato into the hot lard; keep them sepa- 
rated by means of the ladle until they are of a delicate yellow 
color; skim them out into the tin plate; sprinkle over some 
salt, and push them on the dish. Now pour back any grease 
that is on the tin plate into the kettle, and fry five or six slices 
at a time until enough are cooked. Two potatoes fried will 
make a large dishful. 

It is a convenient dish for a company dinner, as it may be 
made early in the day ; and by being kept in a dry, warm place 
(for instance, a kitchen-closet), the potato-slices will be crisp and 

9 



194 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEM GIVING. 

nice five or six hours afterward. They are eaten cold, and are 
a pretty garnish around game, or, in fact, any other kind of 
meat. 

Fried Potatoes. 

Fried potatoes must absolutely be served the moment they 
come from the fire. Nothing deteriorates more by getting cold 
or keeping than fried potatoes (with the exception of Saratoga 
fried potatoes, which are served cold). They may be sliced 
rather thin, and sauted in a little hot butter, pepper, and salt. 
The French usually cut potatoes into little rhomboidal lengths, 
and throw them into boiling lard, or clarified grease (see page 
44). 

The fat should be quite hot, and the pieces of potato skim- 
med out the moment they receive a delicate color, and placed 
on a sieve by the side of the fire. Sprinkle over salt, and serve 
them in a hot dish. 

Lyonnaise Potatoes. 

Ingredients : Half a pound of cold boiled potatoes, two 
ounces of onion, a heaping tea-spoonful of minced parsley, but- 
ter the size of an egg. 

Slice the cold boiled potatoes. Put the butter into a sauce- 
pan, and when hot throw in the onion (minced), which fry' to a 
light color ; add the sliced potatoes, which turn until they are 
thoroughly hot, and of light color also ; then mix in the minced 
parsley, and serve immediately while they are quite hot. The 
potato-slices should be merely moistened with the butter dress- 
ing. 

Potato Croquettes. 

Add to four or five mashed potatoes (made according to re- 
ceipt, see page 191) a little nutmeg, Cayenne pepper, and the 
beaten yolk of one egg. Beat the potatoes with a fork ; roll 
them into little balls, which roll in egg and cracker-crumbs, and 
fry them in a wire-basket in boiling lard. For a change, a little 
minced parsley might be added. 

At the New York Cooking-school the teacher passed the sea- 
soned potatoes through a sieve, and then returned them to the 
fire, stirring them with a wooden spoon until they left the sides 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 195 

and bottom of the pan. He said tliis prevented them from 
cracking when frying. 

Potato Roses. 
Pare carefully with a thin penknife some peeled potatoes, 
round and round, until all of each potato is pared to the centre. 
Do not attempt to cut the slices too thin, or they will break. 
Place them in a wire-basket, and dip into boiling lard. These 
potatoes are a pretty garnish around a roast, and are supposed 
to resemble roses. 

Potatoes for Breakfast. 
Slice a generous pint of cold boiled potatoes. Put into the 
brightest of saucepans butter the size of a pigeon's egg, and 
when it bubbles add an even tea -spoonful of flour (the sauce 
not to be thick), which cook a moment, and then pour in a cup- 
ful of milk (or, better, cream), salt, and pepper ; stir with an 
egg-whisk until it boils, then mix in the potato-slices. When 
they are thoroughly hot they are ready to be served. 

Potato Puff. 

Stir two cupfuls of mashed potatoes, two table-spoonfuls of 
melted butter, and some salt to a fine, light, and creamy condi- 
tion ; then add two eggs well beaten separately, and six table- 
spoonfuls of cream ; beat it all well and lightly together ; pile 
it in rocky form on a dish ; bake it in a quick oven until nicely 
colored. It will become quite light. 

Shoo-fly Potatoes. 
There is a machine which comes for the purpose of cutting 
shoo-fly potatoes; it costs two dollars and a half. The pota- 
toes are cut into long strips like macaroni, excepting that the 
sides are square instead of round. They are thrown into boil- 
ing lard, sprinkled with salt as soon as done, and served as a 
vegetable alone, or as a garnish around meat. 

Turnips. 
The ruta-baga turnips are sweetest and best. Pare and cut 



196 rHACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

them in pieces of equal size ; put them into well-salted boiling 
water, and, when perfectly tender, drain them dry ; let them re- 
main a moment on the fire to evaporate the water, then mash 
them in a stew-pan, in which is hot butter, pepper and salt to 
taste. Stir them over the fire until they are thoroughly mixed, 
and keep them in the stew-pan until just before serving, as tur- 
nips should be served very hot. 

Turnips in Sauce {French Cook). 

Cut three good-sized turnips into slices, or parallelograms, as 
long as the turnip, and about half an inch thick. If they are 
not young and tender, they should be boiled until half done ; 
but they should not be boiled at first if young. Put a piece 
of butter the size of an egg into a saucepan ; when hot, put in 
the pieces of turnips, and fry them to a light -brown color. 
When done, add a heaping tea-spoonful of sugar ; mix, and then 
pour in a tea-cupful of stock (boiling water would answer, but 
not so well) ; put this at the side of the fire to simmer until 
they are done, adding a little pepper and salt. Now put a lit- 
tle more butter, the size of a walnut, into a saucepan, adding a 
heaping tea-spoonful of flour; mix, and add a little lukewarm 
water. When smoothly mixed, add the sauce of the turnips ; 
when both are well mixed, add the turnip slices ; they are then 
ready to serve. 

Parsnips Sauted. 

Parboil them ; then, after cutting lengthwise, saute them to 
a light-brown in a little hot butter or drippings. 

Parsnip Fritters. 
This is undoubtedly the best manner of cooking parsnips : 
Scrape, and, if large, cut them ; put them into well-salted boil- 
ing water, and boil until tender; then mash them, adding to 
four or five parsnips a heaping tea -spoonful of flour, one or 
two eggs well beaten, pepper and salt to taste. Form the mixt- 
ure into small cakes three-quarters of an inch thick and two 
and a half inches in diameter, and fry them on both sides to a 
delicate brown in a saute pan, with a little hot butter. Serve 
hot. 



PRAVTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING, 197 

Oyster-plant Fritters 
are best made into little cakes, as described for parsnip fritters. 
They may, however, be made smaller, in order to imitate fried 
oysters. 

Oyster-plants Stewed. 

As you scrape them, throw them into a bowl of cold water, 
in which is mixed a table - spoonful of vinegar. When all are 
scraped, cut them either into half -inch lengths, or lengthwise 
into four pieces, which again cut into three-inch lengths ; throw 
them into boiling water, in which are half a tea -spoonful of 
salt and one -third of a tea -spoonful of sugar to one quart of 
water. When done, drain, and mix them with white sauce, 
either drawn butter or a simple Bechamel. 

Carrots, 

The best mode of cooking carrots is to boil them with corn- 
ed beef, and then serve them as a garnish around the meat. 
Carrots require a longer time to boil than almost any other 
vegetable. K large, boil them an hour and a half. It im- 
proves their appearance to cut them into shapes of balls or 
pears before boiling ; or they may be cut into half -inch slices, 
and then shaped with the tin cutters (see page 55). These 
come in different sizes. 

Beets. 

If they are winter beets, soak them overnight ; in any case, 
be very careful not to prick or cut the skin before boiling, as 
they will then lose their color ; put them into boiling water, and 
boil until tender. If they are served hot, pour a little melted 
butter, pepper, and salt over them. They are often served cold, 
cut into slices, with some vinegar over them, or cut into little 
dice and mixed with other cold vegetables, for a winter salad. 

Cauliflower, with White Sauce. 
Trim off the outside leaves, and put the cauliflower into well- 
salted boiling water. Be careful to take it out as soon as ten- 
der, to prevent it dropping into pieces. Make, in a saucepan, 
a white sauce as follows : Put butter the size of an egg into 



198 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 




the saucepan, and when it bubbles stir in a scant half tea-cup- 
ful of flour; stir well with an egg -whisk until cooked; then 

add two tea-cupfuls 

of thin cream, some 

pepper and salt. Stir 

_^^ _ .. _ _ it over the fire un- 

^^*^^"-^^^^^^^^^'^*^^^=^^^^ til perfectly smooth. 

Pour the sauce over 
the cauliflower, and serve. Many let the cauliflower simmer in 
the sauce a few moments before serving. The sauce Hollan- 
daise is very fine for cauliflower. 

Cauliflower is delicious served as a garnish around fried 
spring chickens, or with fried sweet - breads, when the white 
sauce should be poured over both. In this case, it should be 
made by adding the cream, flour, and seasoning to the little 
grease (half a tea-spoonful) that is left after sauteing the chick- 
ens or sweet -breads. Time to cook, fifteen minutes, if small ; 
twenty minutes, if large. 

Cauliflowers, with Cheese. 

Add plenty of grated cheese (say a cupful to a pint of sauce) 
to the usual white sauce made for cauliflowers. Heat the sauce 
well, to melt the cheese thoroughly, and pour it over the cauli- 
flowers. 

Cauliflower is valuable as a salad, with the Mayonnaise dress- 
ing, or, mixed with other cold vegetables, with the French 
dressing. See Salads. 

Asparagus. 
Tie the stalks in bundles, keeping the heads one way, and 
cut off the stalks, so that they may be of equal length. Put 
them into well -salted 
boiling water, and 
cook until they are 
tender (no longer). ^^ 
"VVliile boiling, pre- ^ 
pare some thin slices 
of toast ; arrange the asparagus, when well drained, neatly upon 




rii ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 199 

it, and pour over a white sauce, as for cauliflower. The sauce 
Ilollandaise is especially nice for asparagus. Time to cook 
asparagus, about eighteen minutes. , 

Pease. 

American mode: First boil the pods, which are sweet and 
full of flavor, in a little water; skim them out, and add the 
pease, which boil until tender ; add then a little butter, cream, 
pepper, and salt. If they are served as a garnish, do not add 
the juice ; but, if served alone, the juice is a savory addition. 
Time to cook, about half an hour. 

The American canned pease should be rinsed before cook- 
ing, as the juice is generally thick. The pease are then thrown 
into a little boiling water seasoned with salt, and a little sugar ; 
butter is added when done. 

English mode : Throw the pease into boiling water, with 
some lettuce leaves and a sprig of mint in the bottom of the 
stew-pan. To each quart of pease allow two table-spoonfuls 
of butter and a lump of loaf-sugar ; cover the stew-pan close- 
ly, and boil until they are tender — thoroughly done ; then sepa- 
rate the pease from the other ingredients, sending them only 
to the table. This cooking of pease with mint (universally 
done in England) is a good w^ay of utterly destroying the deli- 
cious natural flavor of the pea. 

Spinach. 
Having washed it thoroughly, put it into just enough salt- 
ed boiling water to cover it. When it is tender, squeeze out 
all the water, and press it through a colander ; then saute it a 
few minutes, with a 
little butter, pepper, 
and salt. Serve w^ith 
sliced, hard - boiled 
eggs on top ; or, if it 
is used as a garnish 
for lamb, add a little 

lemon-juice and a spoonful of stock. Or, it is nice served as a 
course by itself, arranged on a platter as follows : 




200 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEE GIVING. 

Put a circle of thin slices of buttered toast (one slice for 
each person at table) around the dish, and on each slice put 
a cupful of spinach, neatly smoothed in shape. Press the half 
of a hard-boiled egg into the top of each pile of spinach, leav- 
ing the cut part of the egg uppermost. 

Tomatoes Stewed. 
Pour boiling water over six or eight large tomatoes to re- 
move the skin, and then cut them into a saucepan. When they 
begin to boil, pour away a little of the juice ; add a small piece 
of butter, pepper, salt, and a very little sugar. Let them cook 
for about fifteen minutes, stirring in well the seasoning. Some 
add a few bread or cracker crumbs. 

Tomatoes, with Mayonnaise Dressing (see Salads, p. 226). 

Stuffed Tomatoes Baked. 

Choose large tomatoes. Do not skin them, but scoop out a 
small place at the top, which fill with a stuffing. The simplest 
is made of bread-crumbs, minced onion, cayenne, and salt. 
First fry the onions in a little butter, add the bread-crumbs, 
moistened with a little water (or, better, stock) and seasoned 
with a very little Cayenne pepper and enough salt. Fry them a 
moment ; then fill the cavities, allowing the stuffing to project 
half an inch above the tomato, and smooth it over the top. Bake. 

A better stuffing is this : Chop very fine some cold cooked 
chicken, lamb, beef, or pork. Each of these may be used, or 
they may be mixed. However, a very little pork mixed with 
any kind of meat makes a pleasant seasoning. Now fry a lit- 
tle chopped onion in butter, and, when just colored, throw in 
the chopped meat, a few bread-crumbs, very little stock, and 
season the whole with salt, pepper, and some parsley. When 
hot, and well mixed, take it off the fire ; add the yolk of a raw 
egg to bind it together. Fill the tomatoes with this prepara- 
tion, sprinkle bread-crumbs over the tops, and bake. The to- 
matoes are a pretty garnish around any kind of meat. If served 
as a course alone, pour into the bottom of the dish a tomato- 
sauce flavored with a little sherry. 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 201 



Onions. 
There is no better manner of 'cooking onions than as fol- 
lows: Put them into salted boiling water, with a little milk 
added, and boil them until tender (no longer). Then place 
them in a baking-pan with a little pepper, salt, and butter over 
the top of each, and a very little of the water in which they 
were boiled in the bottom of the pan. Brown them quickly 
in the oven, and serve very hot. They may be served alone in 
a vegetable-dish, or as a garnish around beef, calf's heart, etc. 

Onions, with Cream. 

Boil the onions, putting them into boiling salted water, with 
a little milk added, until tender ; drain, and put them into a 
stew-pan, with a white sauce made as directed for cauliflowers. 
Let them simmer a few moments. Serve with the sauce pour- 
ed over. 

String-beans. 

String, and cut each bean crosswise into two or three pieces. 
Put them, with a little pork, into boiling water, and when boiled 
tender drain them. Put into a stew-pan a cupful of cream, a 
small piece of butter rubbed in an even tea- spoonful of flour, 
pepper, and salt. When hot, add the beans (say one pint), and 
stew them a few moments before serving. 

String-beans in Salad (see Salads, page 226). 

Lima Beans (London Cooking-teacher). 
Put a pint of the shelled beans into boiling water slight- 
ly salted, adding two or three slices of onion. When tender, 
drain them. Put butter the size of an egg into a heated sauce- 
pan, and when it is hot add an even table-spoonful of minced 
onions, which cook well ; then put in the beans ; add enough 
water (or, better, stock) to keep them moist. Keep them at the 
side of the fire about a quarter of an hour, as it takes them 
some time to soak; just before taking them out, add a small 
handful of minced parsley. Do not cook them much after 
adding the parsley, as that spoils its color. 

9* 



202 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Lima Beans, with Cream. 
Put a pint of the shelled beans into just enough boiling salt- 
ed water to cover them, and boil them tender ; then drain off 
the water ; add a cupful of boiling milk (or, better, cream), a lit- 
tle piece of butter, pepper, and salt. Let the beans simmer a 
minute in the milk before serving. 

Celery Fried. 

Cut the celery into pieces three or four inches long ; boil them 
tender in salted water ; drain them. Make a batter in the pro- 
portion of two eggs to a cupful of rich milk ; mix flour, or fine 
bread or cracker crumbs, enough to give it consistence ; roll the 
pieces of celery in it, and fry them to a light-brown in hot lard. 
Serve very hot. Celery can also be cooked as asparagus, boiled 
tender, and served with a white sauce. 

Egg-plant. 
Cut the plant into slices less than half an inch thick, with- 
out paring off the skin ; then sprinkle pepper and salt between 
the parts, and cover with a plate ; let them remain an hour, 
then dip each slice separately first into beaten Q,gg, then into 
fine bread or cracker crumbs. Saute them to a light-brown in 
hot lard or butter. 

Cabbage to Boil. 

Cabbage is best boiled and served with corned beef; other- 
wise boil a small piece of pork with it. Always boil with it a 
piece of a red pepper. A little bunch of small red peppers, cost- 
ing five cents, will last a long time for cooking cabbage, mak- 
ing pickles, etc. 

Eemove the outside damaged leaves, and cut the cabbage into 
halves (or, if very large, into quarters), so as to better cook the 
inside stalk ; put it into the boiling water, with the corned beef 
or pork and the small red pepper. It will take the cabbage 
from half to three quarters of an hour to be well cooked. 
Drain the cabbage well, serving it with the meat in the centre 
of the dish. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



203 



Cabbage Stewed. 
Shred two small cabbages coarser than for cold slaw ; parboil 
them with a small piece of red pepper added to the boiling wa- 
ter ; then pom- off the water, and add three or four table-spoon- 
fuls of vinegar, a small piece of butter, and a large-sized ladleful 
of stock from the stock-pot ; cover the saucepan closely, and 
let the cabbage simmer gently for half an hour ; season with a 
little red pepper, if it needs more, and salt. 

To Boil Corn on the Cob. 
At the Saratoga Lake House there is a third specialty of 
good things. The first is the fried potato, the second is the 
fresh trout, the third is boiled corn, which is served as a course 
by itself. The corn 
is boiled in the husk. 
The latter imparts 
sweetness and flavor 
to the corn, besides 
keeping it moist and 
tender. The unhusked corn is put into salted boiling water, 
and when done, and well drained, some of the outside husks 
are removed, and the corn is served, with the remaining husks 
about it; or, the cobs may be broken from the husks just 
before sending them to table, which would save this trouble 
afterward. 




Corn Mock Oysters. 
Mix into a pint of grated green corn three table-spoonf als of 
milk, one tea-cupful of flour, a piece of butter the size of a 
hickory -nut, one tea -spoonful of salt, half a tea -spoonful of 
pepper, and one egg. Drop it by dessert-spoonfuls into a little 
hot butter, and saute it on both sides. It resembles, and has 
much the flavor of fried oysters. It is a good tea or lunch 
dish. Serve it hot, on a warm platter. 

Corn Custard, to be served as a Vegetable. 
Cut corn from the cob, mix it not too thin with milk, two or 



204 PJRACTICAL COOKINO, AND DINNEM GIVING. 

three beaten eggs, pepper and salt ; bake half an hour. It is 
very nice. 

Corn Pudding for Tea. 
Ingredients : One dozen ears of sweet - corn, three eggs, one 
pint of milk, three table-spoonfuls of sugar, a small tea-spoon- 
ful of salt, a little butter, a little flour if the corn is quite 
young, with a little less milk ; if the corn is older, omit it ; 
grate half of the corn, and cut the other half. Bake. 

Grated Corn Sauted. 

Mix grated corn with salt and pepper ; saute it in a little hot 
butter. 

To Cook Cranberries. 

Add one tea-cupful of water to a quart of cranberries, and 
put them over the fire. After cooking ten minutes, add two 
heaping cupf uls of sugar, and cook about ten minutes longer, 
stirring them often. Pour them into a bowl or mold, and 
when cold they can be removed as a jelly. The berries will 
seem very dry before the sugar is added, but if more water is 
used they will not form a jelly. 

Artichokes. 

Cut off the outside tough leaves, and trim the bottom ; 
throw them into boiling salted water, with a few drops of vin- 
egar. When quite done, drain, and serve with drawn butter, 
or, what is still better, a sauce Hollandaise. 

Fried Apples for Breakfast. 
Sour apples should be selected: Pippins, Northern Spies, 
etc. First fry some thin slices of pork, then the slices (with- 
out peeling them) of apples in the same hot fat. 

A Rice Dish {Risotto a la Milanaise). 
Put one ounce of butter (size of a pigeon's Qgg) into a stew- 
pan, and when hot mix in a quarter of an onion (half an ounce), 
minced, and cook until it assumes a pale - yellow color ; put in 
the washed rice (uncooked), and stir it over the fire until it has 

a yellow color also ; then add a pint of stock. White stock is / 

« / 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 205 

preferable, as it preserves the light color of the rice, yet any 
stock may be used. Boil slowly until the rice is tender (about 
half an hour), when the stock will be mostly absorbed. When 
about to serve, add one ounce of grated cheese, stirring for a 
few moments over the fire, without letting it boil ; sprinkle a 
little grated cheese over the top. 

This dish can be served alone as an entremet or as a vegeta- 
ble, with any kind of meat. A brown sauce may or may not 
be served around it. 

Another Rice Dish. 
Mix carefully (not to break the grains) in a pint of boiled 
rice (see page 288) a table-spoonful of either minced parsley 
or shives. Put a piece of butter size of a pigeon's egg into a 
saucepan, and let it color a light-brown ; mix the rice in the 
butter, and serve as a vegetable. 

Mushrooms in Crust {Croute aux Champignons). 

For the crust, a little extra butter is added to the dough for 
rolls ; it is made round, three inches in diameter, and two inches 
high, instead of an oval roll shape. When freshly baked, a slice 
is cut from the top of each one, the crumb is removed, and the 
shells are buttered and filled with mushrooms, cooked as for 
garnishing, and mixed with a Bechamel sauce. Finely minced 
parsley is sprinkled over the tops. They should be served 
quite hot. Fresh mushrooms are required for this dish. 

Flaxseed for a Centre-piece. 
Sew coarse flannel around a goblet with the stem broken off ; 
put this shapely dome upon a saucer of water ; wet the flannel, 
and sprinkle over as much flaxseed as will adhere to it. The 
flannel will absorb the water from the saucer, which should be 
often replenished. In about two weeks the flannel will be con- 
cealed in a beautiful verdure, which will vie with any table or- 
nament. 

CASSEROLES. 

Casseroles are generally made of boiled rice, or of mashed 
boiled potatoes, When of rice, first cook thoroughly with milk, 



206 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

salt, and a little butter ; or they may be cooked in broth, with a 
little ham added, which is afterward to be taken out. Mash fine. 
When of potatoes, boil, season, and mash them well. Butter 
the casserole mold. First press the rice, or the potatoes, which- 
ever used, into the figures of the mold ; then fill it. In the cen- 
tre bread may be substituted. Put the casserole aside to harden. 
When quite cold and firm, carefully unclasp and take off the 
mold ; then, with a small, sharp knife and a spoon, scoop out 
the inside, leaving the casserole from a half to an inch thick. 
Just before serving, with a little paste -brush, dipped in the 
yolk of an Qgg, brush the whole surface. This may be omitted 
if preferred. Put in a very hot oven a few moments, to heat 
the rice or potato, and to color slightly the egg. Fill it with 
vegetables, such as cauliflower, Lima beans, string-beans, arti- 
chokes, pease, etc. ; or with chicken fricasseed or fried, and 
served with a cream dressing, or with Bechamel sauce, or en 
hlanquette ; or with any kind of scollops, whether of game, 
poultry, sweet-breads, fish, or shell-fish. 



SHELLS, OR COQUILLES. 

A TASTEFUL variety at table is a course of something served 
in shells (en coquille). The natural shells (except oyster-shells) 
are not as pretty as silver shells. Plated silver scallop-shells 
are not expensive, and are always ready. You can always serve 
oysters in their shells, by once purchasing fine large ones ; then, 
by cleaning them carefully every time they are used, they will 
be ready to be filled for the next occasion with suitable oysters 
from the can. Oysters, lobsters, shrimps, or cold fish of any 
kind, can be served en coquille in place of fish. Chicken, or 
meat of any kind, should be served as an entree. Salmon, or 
almost any kind of fish or shell-fish, can be served en coquille 
cold, with a Mayonnaise dressing, as a salad. 

Chickens in Shells. 
Boil the chickens in water or in broth; cut the meat into 
little dice ; mix them, while hot, with a hot Bechamel sauce, or 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 207 

with a white sauce made with cream ; sprinkle sifted bread 
or cracker crumbs over them ; brown slightly in a hot oven. 
Serve immediately. Sometimes mushrooms are mixed with the 
chicken dice. 

Oysters en Coquille. 

Prepare oysters as described for vols-au-vent ; serve them in 
the scallop-shells, with sifted bread-crumbs (browned) sprinkled 
over them. Put into the oven until they are thoroughly hot. 

Fish en Coquille. 

Cut any good fish into little scollops (having boned and 
skinned them) half an inch wide; fry them in a saute pan, 
with a little butter, salt, and a few drops of lemon-juice ; then 
mix them with any of the fish sauces, and put them into the 
shells; sprinkle over bread-crumbs {sauted brown in a little 
butter), and warm them in the oven. 

Lobsters or Shrimps en Coquille. 
Cut the lobsters into scollops or pieces ; mix them with the 
Bechamel, or cream, sauce; sprinkle over bread-crumbs, and 
brown slightly in the oven. Proceed in the same manner with 
shrimps, picking those that are mixed with the sauce, and re- 
serving some whole, to decorate the tops. 

Mushrooms en Coquille. 
Cut the mushrooms, if they are too large ; throw them for a 
few minutes into boiling water, then into cold water to whiten 
them ; wipe well, and saute them in a saucepan, with a lit- 
tle butter. When colored, and almost done, sprinkle in a lit- 
tle flour and a little chopped parsley ; when the flour is cook- 
ed (which will require but a few moments), pour in, say, a 
tea-cupful of stock; let it all simmer for about fifteen min- 
utes. Just before serving, stir in the beaten yolk of an Qgg, 
and a few drops of lemon-juice. The sauce should be rather 
thick. Fill each shell with this mixture ; sprinkle a few sifted 
cracker-crumbs on the tops; brown them slightly with a red- 
hot shovel, or put them into a very hot oven a few moments 
just before serving. 



208 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



POTTING. 

In England, potting is an every-day affair for the cook. If 
there be ham, game, tongue, beef, or fish on the table one day, 
you are quite sure to see it potted on the next day at lunch or 
breakfast. It is a very good way of managing left-over food, 
instead of invariably making it into hashes, stews, etc. These 
potted meats will keep a long time. They are not good unless 
thoroughly pounded, reduced to the smoothest possible paste, 
and free from any unbroken fibre. 

Potted Ham. 

Mince some cold cooked ham, mixing lean and fat together ; 
pound in a mortar, seasoning at the same time with a little Cay- 
enne pepper, pounded mace, and mustard. Put into a dish, and 
place in the oven half an hour; afterward pack it in potting- 
pots or little stone jars, which cover with a layer of clarified 
butter (lukewarm), and tie bladders or paste paper over them. 
This is convenient for sandwiches. The butter may be used 
again for basting meat or for making meat-pies. 

Potted Tongue (Warne). 

Ingredients: One pound and a half of boiled tongue, six 
ounces of butter, a little cayenne, a small spoonful of pounded 
mace, nutmeg and cloves each half a tea-spoonful. 

The tongue must be unsmoked, boiled, and the skin taken 
off. Pound it in the mortar as fine as possible, with the spices. 
When perfectly pounded, and the spices are well blended with 
the meat, press it into small potting-pans ; pour over the but- 
ter. A little roast veal, or the breasts of turkeys, chickens, etc., 
added to the tongue, are an improvement. 

Potted Beef. 
This is well-cooked beef chopped and pounded with a little 
butter, pepper, salt, and mace. Manage as for potted ham. 

Potted Birds. 
Clean pigeons, or any other birds, and thoroughly season 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 209 

them with mace, allspice, pepper, and salt ; then lay the breasts 
in a pan as close as possible, and put some butter over them ; 
cover the pan with a coarse flour paste. Bake the birds well in 
the oven, and when cold cut them into small pieces ; pound 
these to a paste in a mortar ; pack them closely in a potting- 
pot, and cover with butter. 

Potted Fish. 
Cut out the pieces of fish ; season with pepper, salt, and 
cloves, if you like ; then put them into a dish ; cover closely as 
for potted birds. Bake one hour. When cold, press them into 
the pot, and cover well with butter, etc. 

Potted Chicken and Tongue or Ham. 
Roast the chicken ; take off all the meat, separating it from 
the sinews and skin ; chop and pound thoroughly, with a pound 
of tongue or of ham. Let the bones of the chicken be boiled 
down to a glaze ; moisten the pounded meat with this glaze ; 
season with salt, Cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and a little butter. 
When well pounded and run through a sieve, put it into pots, 
and press it in hard. Now put the pots into a covered stew-pan, 
with some boiling water in the bottom ; let them be steamed 
half an hour, then let them cool. Press the meat down again, 
wipe dry, and cover with some hot butter. It will keep for 
months. 



MACARONI. 
Macaroni, with Cheese (London Cooking-school). 
Do not wash the macaroni. Throw it, broken into conven- 
ient pieces, into boiling water which is well salted ; stir or shake 
it frequently, to prevent its adhering to the bottom of the stew- 
pan. The moment it is quite tender (no longer), pour it into 
a colander, and shake off all the water. In the mean time, melt 
a lump of butter the size of a large egg (two ounces) to half 
a pound of macaroni, in a cup on the fire, and grate a handful 
(four ounces) of cheese. Now, when the macaroni is well drain- 



210 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

ed, place a little of it in the bottom of the dish in which it is 
to be served; pour over it some of the melted butter, and sprin- 
kle over that a little grated cheese. Continue alternate layers 
of the three ingredients until all the macaroni is used, leaving 
butter and cheese on the top. Put the dish into the oven, and 
let it remain three or four minutes, or long enough for the mac- 
aroni to soak the butter and cheese ; then take it out ; brown 
the top with a salamander or hot kitchen-shovel, when it will 
be ready to be served. Aim to have it done just the moment 
of serving, otherwise the cheese will cool and harden.* It re- 
quires about twenty minutes to boil macaroni. 

Macaroni and Welsh Rare-bit. 

When the macaroni is cooked as in the preceding receipt, 
arrange it in the centre of a large hot platter ; brown the top 
with the salamander ; place around it, as a garnish, little dia- 
monds of Welsh rare-bits (see page 264). This is a nice dish 
to serve in place of cheese. 

Macaroni, with Sweet-breads. 
Parboil, egg, bread-crumb, and saute the sweet-breads. Place 
them in the centre of a large hot platter; arrange macaroni 
(cooked with cheese) around it, and brown the top with the 
salamander. 

Macaroni, with Tomato-sauce. 

Sauce. — Put butter size of an Qgg into a saucepan ; when it 
is at the boiling-point, throw in an onion (minced), two sprigs 
of parsley (chopped fine), and a little pepper. Let it cook five 
or eight minutes; then throw in a heaping table - spoonful of 
flour and a little broth from the stock-pot (if there be no broth, 
use a little boiling water). Stir this well, and let it cook five 
or eight minutes longer. Now pour in about a coffee-cupful of 
tomatoes which have been stewed and strained through a col- 
ander or sieve, and stir all together. 

Boil half a pound of macaroni tender in well-salted boiling 

* The macaroni may be boiled in stock. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 211 

water or in stock, and drain it in the colander. Place alter- 
nate layers of tlie macaroni and the sauce on a hot dish, pour- 
ing the sauce over the top ; put the dish into the oven two or 
three minutes to soak the sauce. Serve immediately. 

This sauce is simple and very nice. I change it from the 
receipt of the "London Cooking - teacher," which requires a 
few additions. His sauce is as follows : Cut a carrot and an 
onion into little dice, and prepare a bouquet, i. e., tie a little 
parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf together. Put into a stew-pan 
some butter (size of a large egg) ; when it is hot, throw into it 
the vegetables, bouquet, and three or four whole peppers ; let 
them cook for eight or ten minutes. Then mix in a heaping 
table-spoonful of flour, and a little of the pot-au-feu broth ; boil 
this eight or ten minutes longer ; then add a cupful of cooked 
and strained tomatoes. Stir all together. 

Macaroni au Gratin {J^eiv York Cooking-school). 

Ingredients : Half a pound of macaroni, four ounces of 
cheese, two ounces of butter, three-quarters of a cupful of 
Bechamel sauce. 

Boil the macaroni as described in " macaroni with cheese." 
Wlien well drained, pour over it nearly all of the sauce and the 
grated cheese ; toss it in the saucepan, mixing it well togeth- 
er without breaking the macaroni; put it into a gratin dish; 
pour first the remainder of the sauce over the top, then the re- 
mainder of the cheese, and over this sprinkle a table -spoon- 
ful of cracker-dust and dots of butter. Put it into a very hot 
oven ten minutes, coloring the top. 

Crackers, with Cheese. 
Soak in boiling water round crackers split in two, three 
inches in diameter and three-quarters of an inch high (I do 
not know the name). Take them out carefully, so as not to 
break them ; make layers of these slices in a little gratin dish 
or a deep baking-dish, each slice buttered, spread with a little 
made mustard, and sprinkled with pepper, salt, and plenty of 
grated cheese. Wlien all is prepared, bake them in a hot oven 
for ten minutes. 



212 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



EGGS. 

Boiled Eggs 

should all be placed in a wire-basket, and put into boiling wa- 
ter. Boil them two minutes and three-quarters precisely. 

Lord Chesterfield said it was only necessary for him to see a 
person at table to tell if he were a gentleman. He must have 
had a fine opportunity for observation when boiled eggs were 
served. It seems nonsense (and it is nonsense) when I say that 
the fashionable world abroad and their imitators here consider it 
insufferably gauche to serve a boiled Qgg but in one stereotyped 
way, i. e., in the smallest of egg-cups. The top of the egg is 
cut off with a knife, and with a little agg - spoon, dipped into 
salt when necessary, the Qgg is eaten from the shell. I really 
can not see that it matters much whether an Q,gg is eaten from 
an egg-glass, or in the little egg-cups from the shell, unless one 
prefers to be in the fashion, when it requires no more trouble. 

Poached Eggs. 

Salt the water well ; when it is simmering, drop lightly 
each broken egg from a saucer into it. Cook one Qgg at a 
time, throwing carefully with a spoon the water from the side 
over the Qgg, to whiten the top. When cooked just enough 
(do not let it get too hard), take out the Qgg with a perforated 
ladle, trim off the ragged pieces, and slip it on a small, thin 
piece of hot buttered toast, cut neatly into squares. When 
all are cooked, and placed on their separate pieces of toast, 
sprinkle a little pepper and salt over each one. 

Some put into the boiling water muffin-rings, in which the 
eggs are cooked, to give them an even shape ; they present a 
better appearance, however, cooked in the egg -poacher, illus- 
trated among the cooking utensils. Poached eggs are nice in- 
troduced into a beef soup — one egg for each person at table ; 
they are also nice served on thin, diamond - shaped slices of 
broiled ham instead of toast. 

Delmonico serves poached eggs on toast, with sorrel sprin- 
kled over the tops. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 213 

Poached Eggs on Anchovy Toast. 
This is a favorite dish abroad. It is generally a supper-dish, 
yet can be served at breakfast, lunch, and even as a course for 
dinner. The dish consists simply of thin pieces of toast, cut 
of equal size, buttered, and spread with a little anchovy paste, 
and a poached Qgg placed on each piece. Anchovy paste can 
be purchased in little jars at all the larger groceries. 

Stuffed Eggs {for Lunch). 
Boil the eggs hard ; cut them in two lengthwise, and remove 
the yolks, which chop, adding to them some cooked chicken, 
lamb, veal, or pickled tongue chopped fine ; season the mixture, 
and add enough gravy, or the raw yolk of ^gg, to bind them ; 
stuff the cavities, smooth them, and press the two halves togeth- 
er; roll them in beaten Qgg and bread-crumbs twice. When 
just ready to serve, dip them in a wire-basket into boiling lard ; 
and when they have taken a delicate color, drain. Serve on a 
napkin, and garnish with parsley or any kind of leaves, or serve 
with a tomato-sauce. 

Stuffed Eggs {French Cook). 
Boil the eggs hard, and cut them in two ; take out carefully 
the yolks, which mash well, adding a little finely minced onion, 
chopped parsley, pepper, and salt. Mash also double the quan- 
tity of bread, which has been soaked in milk ; mix bread, yolks, 
etc., together ; then bind them with a little raw yolk of egg ; 
taste to see if they are properly seasoned. Stuff the eggs with 
the mixture, so that each half has the appearance of containing 
a whole round yolk ; smooth the remainder of the mixture on 
the bottom of a pie-pan ; arrange the halves symmetrically in 
this bed ; brown a little in the oven. 

Stuffed Eggs, with Cheese. 

Ingredients : Six eggs, one ounce of cheese, two ounces of 
butter, one heaping tea-spoonful of flour, a little cayenne, one 
table-spoonful of vinegar, one and a half cupfuls of milk. 

Put the eggs on the fire in cold water, and when they come 



214 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

to a boil set them at the side of the fire to simmer seven min- 
utes ; then put them into cold water. When cold, remove the 
shells ; cut them in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, taking 
care not to tear the whites ; mash the yolks, to which add the 
grated cheese, vinegar, cayenne. At the cooking -school was 
added also a tea-spoonful of olive oil. Make a roux by putting 
the butter into a little saucepan on the fire, and when it bubbles 
mix in the flour. In another small saucepan have a wine-glass- 
ful of milk boiling, to which add enough of the roux to thicken 
it, and then add the yolks, and mix all together until quite hot. 
Now to the remaining roux add a cupful of milk, and stir un- 
til quite smooth for a sauce ; fill the cavities of the whites of 
the eggs with the yolk preparation, rounding the tops to repre- 
sent whole yolks ; arrange them in a circle on a warm platter, 
and pour the white sauce in the centre. 

OMELETS. 

Nothing is more simple than to make an omelet, yet very 
few can make one. The eggs stick to the pan, or they are 
overdone, and tough. 

Senator Riddle, of Delaware, a decided epicure, took much 
pleasure in his superior knowledge on this important subject. 
Once when breakfasting with Mrs. Crittenden, of Kentucky, 
a piece of omelet of doubtful appearance was presented to 
him. " Before we proceed with our breakfast," said he, " let 
me teach you a valuable accomplishment." They repaired at 
once to the kitchen range, where the senator demonstrated at 
once his qualifications as a first-class cook. My own first les- 
son was from Mr. Riddle, so of course I have the correct mo- 
dus operandi ; afterward in London, however, I heard a lect- 
ure upon omelets from a cooking professor, and was astonish- 
ed at the multiplicity of dishes which could be made from this 
simple preparation ; not only breakfast dishes, but also the varie- 
ty of sweet omelets for dessert. 

Plain Omelet. 

The fire should be quite hot. All cookery-books especially 
expatiate on the necessity of a pan to be used for omelets alone. 



FRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 215 



Any clean, smooth iron spider, or saute pan, is a good enough 
omelet-pan. Put the pan on the fire to become heated ; break 
the eggs into a kitchen basin ; sprinkle over them pepper and 
salt, and give them twelve vigorous beats with a spoon. This 
is enough to break all the yolks, and twelve beats Avas Mr. Rid- 
dle's rule. Now put butter the size of an eg^ (for five eggs) 
in the heated pan ; turn it around so that it will moisten all 
the bottom of the pan. When it is well melted, and begins to 
boil, pour in the eggs. Holding the handle of the omelet-pan 
in the left hand carefully and lightly, with a spoon draw up the 
whitened egg from the bottom, so that all the eggs may be 
equally cooked, or whitened to a soft, creamy substance. Now, 
still with the left hand, shake the pan forward and backward, 
which will disengage the eggs from the bottom ; then shaking 
again the omelet a little on one side, turn with a spoon half 
of one side over the other; and allowing it to remain a mo- 
ment to harden a little at the bottom, gently shaking it all the 
time, toss it over on to a warm platter held in the right hand. 
A little practice makes one quite dexterous in placing the om- 
elet in the centre of the platter, and turning it over as it is 
tossed from the omelet-pan. 

However, if one is unsuccessful in the tossing operation, 
which is the correct thing, according to the cooking professor, 
the omelet can be lifted to the platter with a pancake - turner. 
It should be creamy and light in the centre, and more firm on 
the outside. 

I will specify several different omelets. A variety of others 
may be made in the same way, by adding boiled tongue cut 
into dice, sliced truflles, cooked and sliced kidneys with the 
gravy poured around, etc., etc. 

Omelet, with Tomatoes. 
Make the plain omelet; and just before turning one half 
over the other, place in the centre three or four whole toma- 
toes which have been boiled a few minutes previously and sea- 
soned. When the omelet is turned, of course the tomatoes 
will be quite enveloped. Serve with tomato-sauce (see page 
125) poured around it. 



216 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Omelet with Green Pease 
is managed as omelet with tomatoes, putting several spoonfuls 
of cooked green pease in the centre before the omelet is lap- 
ped, then serving with a neat row of pease (without juice) 
around it. 

Omelet, with Ham. 

Throw into the omelet-pan fine-cut shreds of tender ham, 
with the butter. When the ham has cooked a moment, throw 
in the eggs, and proceed as for plain omelet. A little chopped 
parsley beaten with the eggs will improve it. The dish may 
be garnished with thin diamonds of ham around the omelet. 

Omelet, with fine Herbs. 
Before beating the eggs, add with the pepper and salt some 
chopped parsley and shives; cook a moment in the butter 
some thin shreds of onion, then pour in the eggs, and proceed 
as for a plain omelet. The shives may be omitted. 

Omelet, with Mushrooms. 
Boil the mushrooms in a little water, or stock, to which are 
added pepper, salt, a few drops of lemon-juice, and, when done, 
a little flour, to thicken it slightly. Inclose some mushrooms 
in the omelet in the manner explained for tomatoes ; pour the 
remainder of the mushrooms around the omelet, with a little 

juice. 

Omelet, with Shrimps. 

Inclose some picked shrimps in the centre of the omelet. 
Garnish the omelet with shrimps unpicked. 

Omelet, with Oysters. 
Scald the oysters in their own liquor; when just about to 
boil, plump them by throwing them into cold water; then 
beard them ; beat them into the eggs before they are cooked, 
leaving a few oysters for gari ishing the plate. 

Omelet, with Cheese, or Fondue. 
Brillat Savarin says: "Take the same number of eggs as 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 217 

guests at table. Take then a piece of goodi fromage de Gruy- 
ere, weighing about one-third, and a piece of butter one-sixth 
this weight. Break up and beat your eggs well in a saucepan ; 
then add your cheese and butter grated. Put your saucepan 
on the fire, and stir with a wooden spoon until the substance is 
thick and soft ; put in a little salt, according to the age of the 
cheese, and a good sprinkling of pepper, which is one of the 
positive characteristics of this ancient dish. Serve up on a 
warm dish. Get some of your best wine from the cellar, which 
pass around briskly, and you will see wonders." 

Gruyere cheese is considered superior to other cheeses in 
this omelet; yet any kind of American cheese, if highly fla- 
vored, is most delicious also, and, I think, quite as good as the 
Gruyere. I would use fresh cheese, and chop it fine, rather 
than grate it, and also would not add so much butter. We 
will say, then, to six eggs add three-quarters of a cupful, or two 
ounces, of cheese chopped fine, a piece of butter the size of a 
small egg, salt, and pepper. Proceed as for plain omelet. 

Omelet, with Cheese and Macaroni. 
Add to the above receipt about two or three cupfuls of mac- 
aroni which has been boiled in salted water and drained, and is 
still hot. 

Fried Omelet Souffle (for Breakfast). 

Beat the whites and yolks of four eggs separately, and then, 
adding pepper and salt, put the whites over the yolks, and mix 
them together carefully. Put butter the size of a small egg 
into an omelet-pan, and when it has covered the bottom of the 
pan and is bubbling turn in the eggs; with a spoon lift them 
from the bottom until all is slightly cooked, or at least well 
heated ; then gather up the sides to make it into omelet form ; 
shake the pan to disengage the omelet, and at the same time to 
color it slightly at the bottom ; turn this over into the centre 
of a warm platter, so that the colored part be on top. 

Sweet Omelet {for Dessert). 

Add a little sugar to the eggs, instead of pepper and salt ; 

10 




218 PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

make it then as a plain omelet, inclosing in the centre any kind 
of preserves, marmalade, or jam ; when it is turned on to the 
dish, sprinkle sugar over the top. 

Omelet, with Rum. 

This is a most delicious omelet. Add a little sugar to the 

eggs, say a sherry- 
glassful to six eggs, 
and make the omelet 
as a plain omelet. 
When turned on to 
the dish, sprinkle a 
little handful of sugar 

over the top, and pour over five or six table-spoonfuls of rum. 

Set it on fire, and serve it at the table burning. 

Omelet Souffl6. 

Although it is a simple thing to make an omelet souffle, and 
although in France there is not one cook in a score who can 
not make a delicious one for any and every occasion, I would 
not advise a careless cook to ever attempt it. The ingre- 
dients are : Six whites and three yolks of eggs, three ounces 
of pulverized sugar (three table -spoonfuls), and a flavoring of 
vanilla or lemon. First, beat the yolks and sugar to a light 
cream, and add a few drops of flavoring ; then beat the whites 
to the stiffest possible froth. Have the yolks in a rather deep 
kitchen bowl ; turn the whites over them, and with a spoon, 
giving it a rotary motion, cut the two, mixing them carefully 
too-ether. Turn this on to a bakinor-dish, either of earthenware 
or tin, with sides two or three inches high and slightly buttered. 
Smooth over the top, sprinkle over sugar, and put it into a 
moderate oven. If it has to be turned or moved in the oven, 
do it as gently as possible. When it has risen well, and is of a 
fine yellow color, it is ready to be served. It should be served 
at once, or it will fall. 

Omelet souffle was especially nice at the Cafe Vienna in Par- 
is. This is their cook's receipt : " For one portion," said he, 
" use the whites of three eggs ; beat them well ; add one table- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 219 

spoonful of marmalade cut into fine pieces, or little pieces of 
fresh peaches; mix with powdered sugar. Bake it on a dish 
rubbed with butter in a rather quick oven." It seemed as if 
this was too simple a receipt to be so nice. In another place 
was a layer of marmalade on the bottom of the dish, with a 
souffle according to the first receipt, flavored with vanilla, bank- 
ed over it. 

Omelet, with Asparagus Points, Cauliflowers, or other 
Vegetables. 

Cook the vegetables first until they are done, as they will 
not have time to cook with the eggs. Make them in the same 
manner described for tomatoes ; or the vegetables may be beat- 
en with the eggs. Make a border around the omelet of the 
vegetables used. 



SALADS. 



In an English book is told a story of a famous French salad- 
dresser who began very poor, and made a fortune by dressing 
salad for dinners in London. He would go from one place to 
another in his carriage, with a liveried servant, and his mahog- 
ony case. This case contained all the necessaries for his busi- 
ness, such as differently perfumed vinegars, oils with or with- 
out the taste of fruit, soy, caviar, truffles, anchovies, catchup, 
gravy, some yolks of eggs, etc. I confess to a lively curiosity 
as to how these perfumed and scientific mixtures would taste ; 
however, we will be satisfied with the hundred and one ways 
of arranging our simple and delicious salads, within the com- 
prehension of all. 

A Frenchman thinks he can not eat his dinner without his 
salad. It would be well if every one had the same appreciation 
of this most wholesome, refreshing, and at the same time most 
economical dish. It is an accomplishment to know how to 
dress a salad well, which is especially prized by the fashionable 
world. The materials used for salads are generally those shown 
in the list on the following page : 



230 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Lettuce, 

Celery, 

Endive, 

Garden-cress, 

Sorrel, 


Onions, 

Garlic, 

Radishes, 

Beet-root, 

Pepper-grass, 


Cold boiled potatoes, 

Cabbage, 

Gives, 

Tarragon, 

Nasturtium blossoms ; 



or salads of mixed vegetables (salades en macedoine), selected 
from this list of vegetables : 

Cold boiled potatoes, Olives, Cucumbers, 

String-beans, Tomatoes, Carrots, 

Navy-beans, Pease, Truffles, 

Lima beans. Cauliflower, Turnips. 

Beet-root, Asparagus-tops, 

Salads are also made of cold boiled fowls or fish, as follows : 

Chickens, Salmon^ Shrimps, 

Lobster, Prawns, Sardines. 

There are two kinds of dressing which are the best and oft- 
enest used : the Mayonnaise and the French dressing. Epicures 
prefer the simple French dressing for salads served without fish 
or fowl. For chicken and fish salads, and some vegetables, 
as tomatoes and cauliflowers, they use the Mayonnaise sauce. 
This arrangement of dressings is almost universal in London 
and Paris. In America we use the Mayonnaise for all salads. 
J prefer the foreign custom. The simple salad with the French 
dressing is, after all, the most refreshing and satisfactory, if one 
has a heavy dinner served before it. The receipts are as fol- 
lows : 

Mayonnaise Sauce. 

Put the uncooked yolk of an egg into a cold bowl ; beat it 
well with a silver fork ; then add two salt-spoonfuls of salt, and 
one salt-spoonful of mustard powder; work them well a min- 
ute before adding the oil ; then mix in a little good oil, which 
must be poured in very slowly (a few drops at a time) at first, 
alternated occasionally with a few drops of vinegar. In pro- 
portion as the oil is used, the sauce should gain consistency. 
When it begins to have the appearance of jelly, alternate a few 
drops of lemon-juice with the oil. When the egg has absorbed 
a gill of oil, finish the sauce by adding a very little pinch of 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 221 

Cayenne pepper and one and a half tea-spoonfiils of good vin- 
egar; taste it to see that there are salt, mustard, cayenne, and 
vinegar enough. If not, add more very carefully. These pro- 
portions will suit most tastes ; yet some like more mustard and 
more oil. Be cautious not to use too much cayenne. 

By. beating the egg a minute before adding the oil, there is 
little danger of the sauce curdling ; yet if, by adding too much 
oil at first, it should possibly curdle, immediately interrupt the 
operation. Put the yolks of one or two eggs on another plate ; 
beat them well, and add the curdled Mayonnaise by degrees, , 
and finish by adding more oil, lemon -juice, vinegar, salt, and 
cayenne according to taste. If lemons are not at hand, many 
use vinegar instead. 

Delmonico uses four yolks of eggs for two quart-bottles of 
oil. It is only necessary, then, to use one yolk for a pint of oil, 
the Qgg only being a foundation for the sauce. It is easier, 
however, to begin with more yolks : many use three of them 
for a gill of oil. The sauce will not curdle so easily if the few 
drops of vinegar are used at first, after a very little oil is used. 
It keeps perfectly well by putting it into a glass preserve or 
pickle bottle, with a ground -glass stopper. It is well to have 
enough made to last a week at least. The opportunity of 
making it may be taken, and adding it to the Mayonnaise bot- 
tle, when there are extra yolks left, after the whites of the eggs 
are used for other purposes, such as white cake, corn -starch 
pudding, etc. 

It requires about a quarter of an hour to make this sauce. 
In summer, the process of making it is greatly facilitated by 
placing the eggs and oil in the ice -chest half an hour before 
using them. Sometimes, for the sake of a change, the Mayon- 
naise sauce is made green. It is then called 

Sauce A la Ravingote. 

Here is Careme's receipt for it: "Take a good handful of 
chervil, together with some tarragon, and a few cives. When 
these herbs have been washed, put them into boiling water for 
five or six minutes, with a little salt ; after which, cool, drain, 
and squeeze them dry. Pound them well, adding a spoonful 



323 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

of Mayonnaise sauce ; then pass tlie whole through a sieve, and 
mix with the Mayonnaise sauce. If you find it too pale a green, 
add a little spinach prepared in the same way." 

It is more convenient and simple to add boiled and mashed 
green pease to the sauce for coloring. The green Mayonnaise 
is sometimes used to spread over a cold boiled fish (marinated). 
The dish is garnished with lettuce heads. Sometimes, for lob- 
ster or fish salads, the Mayonnaise sauce is prepared red. 

Red Mayonnaise Sauce. 
Pound some lobster coral, pass it through a sieve, and mix 
it with the Mayonnaise sauce. 

French Dressing. 

Ingredients : One table-spoonful of vinegar, three table-spoon- 
fuls of olive-oil, one salt-spoonful of pepper, one salt-spoonful 
of salt, one even tea-spoonful of onion scraped fine. Many use 
tarragon vinegar, i, e,, vinegar in which tarragon has been soaked. 

Pour the oil, mixed with the pepper and salt, over the salad ; 
mix them together ; then add the vinegar and mix again. Chap- 
tal says : " It results, from this process, that there can never be 
too much vinegar : from the specific gravity of the vinegar com- 
pared with the oil, what is more than needful will fall to the 
bottom of the salad-bowl. The salt should not be dissolved in 
the vinegar, but in the oil, by which means it is more equally 
distributed through the salad." 

This is the usual mode of mixing the salad ; but I prefer to 
mix the pepper and salt, then add the oil and onion, and then 
the vinegar ; and, when well mingled, to pour the mixture over 
the salad, or place the salad over it, and mix all together. It 
seems to me to be more evenly distributed in this manner. 

Many different combinations can be made to suit the fancy, 
from the list of salad materials. I will give certain combina- 
tions oftenest seen. It must be remembered that salad is never 
good unless perfectly fresh. It should not be mixed, or brought 
into the dining-room, until the moment when it is to be eaten. 

When preparing lettuce salad, choose the crisp, tender, centre 
leaves of head lettuce. The kind seen in England and France, 



Pli ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 233 

called romaine, is now much used in New York ; it is very crisp 
and tender. The seeds of this lettuce can be obtained in New 
York. In the East, tarragon, and endive also, are largely pro- 
duced, and used to imitate these foreign salads. The tarragon 
leaves are chopped fine, and mixed in the French dressing (with- 
out onion) to use with lettuce. The taste for tarragon is gen- 
erally an acquired one : I prefer the tarragon vinegar to the 
fresh leaves, as it has only a slight flavor of the plant. 

COMBINATIONS. 
1. Lettuce (French Cook). 
Rub garlic in the dish in which lettuce, with French dressing 
(without onion), is to be served. Leave no pieces of the garlic 
— merely rubbing the dish will give flavor enough. The French 
often use garlic in salads. I would advise, however, the use of 
the simple French dressing with onion to be mixed with the 
lettuce leaves, and dispense with the garlic. Use the plain or 
the tarragon vinegar. Nasturtium blossoms have a most pleas- 
ant piquant flavor, and make a beautiful garnish for a salad. 

2. 

Lettuce, with water-cresses or pepper-grass mixed, and small 
radishes placed around for a garnish. French or Mayonnaise 
dressing. 

3. 
Lettuce, with cives mixed, and olives placed around for gar- 
nish. French dressing. 

4. 

Lettuce, with celery mixed (most excellent). Cut the celery 
into pieces, an inch and a half long ; then slice these length- 
wise into four or five pieces. Mix with lettuce. French dress- 
ing. 

5. 

Lettuce and sorrel mixed. French dressing. 

6. 

Lettuce, with anchovies (cut into thin strips as celery) and 



234 PliACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

chopped cives. To vary this dish, prawns and shrimps are used 
for a garnish ; or the anchovies may be left out. French 
dressing. 

1. 
Endive alone. French dressing. 

8. 
Endive, mixed with water-cress. French dressing. 

9. 

Endive, with celery, beets, and hard-boiled eggs in slices. 
French dressing. Endive in centre, row of eggs around, then 
row of beets, then an edge of fringed celery. 

10. 

Water-cress is good mixed with cold boiled beets. Cut the 
beets into little dice ; garnish with olives. French dressing. 

11. 

Lettuce and dice of cold boiled potatoes, and cold boiled 
beets. Potatoes piled in the centre, beets next, and lettuce 
around the edge of the dish. French dressing. 

12. Potato Salad. 
New small onions sliced, mixed with cold boiled potatoes cut 
into dice. French dressing. This potato salad is very nice. 

Another way is to rub the dish with garlic in which the sal- 
ad is made. Mix chopped parsley with the potatoes cut into 
dice. French dressing. 

13. 
Sliced cucumbers, and sliced new onions. French dressing. 

14. 

Cabbage alone, with French or Mayonnaise dressing. 

15. Cold Slaw. 
Cut the cabbage not too fine ; sprinkle pepper and salt over 
it, and set it on ice, or in a cool place, to keep it crisp. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 225 

Dressing. — Beat the yolks of three eggs, or the whole of 
two eggs, with five table-spoonfuls of good strong vinegar, two 
heaping tea - spoonfuls of sugar (three, if the vinegar is very 
strong), half a tea-spoonful of made mustard, and butter size of 
an almond. Put these ingredients into a tin cup, and stir them 
over the fire until they are about to boil, or until they become 
a smooth paste. Put the mixture one side to become cold, and 
to remain until just before it is wanted at table ; then mix it 
well with the cold cabbage, and garnish the top with slices of 
hard-boiled egg. 

Cold slaw is especially nice served with fried oysters. Place 
it in the centre of the warm platter on a folded napkin (a too 
warm platter would injure it), then make a circle of fried oys- 
ters around it. This makes a nice course for dinner. 



The salads of vegetables are generally better with the French 
dressing. They present a better appearance by cutting them 
with a small vegetable-cutter. 

16. Salad of Vegetables (Salade de Legumes). 
Mix cold boiled pease, string - beans, pieces of cauliflower, 
asparagus-tops, or almost any one of the small vegetables ; do 
not cut the larger ones too fine. French dressing. 

17. 

Cold boiled potatoes, Lima beans, beets, carrots. French 
dressing. 

18. 

Cold baked navy beans, with Mayonnaise sauce. 

19. Mayonnaise of Cauliflower. 
Place some cauliflowers into just enough boiling water to 
cover them ; add a little salt and butter to the water. When 
cooked, let them become cold ; then season them with a mari- 
nade of a little salt and pepper, three spoonfuls of vinegar, 
and one spoonful of oil. Let them then remain for an hour. 
When ready to serve, pile them on the dish to a point ; then 
mask them with a Mayonnaise sauce. 

10* 



226 



PliACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 




Careme finishes this dish by placing around it a border of 
croutons of aspic jelly. I can not think that aspic jelly is 
good enough to pay for the trouble of making it, and I am a 
particular advocate for dishes that taste well. Gouffe arranges 
around the dish a border of carrots, beets, turnips, or any 
green vegetables which have been marinated. 

20. Tomatoes a la Mayonnaise. 
This is a truly delicious dish; it would, in fact, be good ev- 
ery day during the tomato season. 

Select large fine tomatoes and place them in the ice -chest; 
the colder they are, the better, if not frozen ; skin them with- 
out the use of hot 
water, and slice them, 
still retaining the form 
of the whole tomato. 
Arrange them in uni- 
form order on a dish, 
with a spoonful of Mayonnaise sauce thick as a jelly on the 
top of each tomato. Garnish the dish with leaves of any kind. 
Parsley is very pretty. 

Some marinate the tomato slices, i. e., dip them into a mixt- 
ure of three spoonfuls of vinegar to one spoonful of oil, pep- 
per, and salt ; and then, after draining well, mix them in the 
Mayonnaise sauce. 

String-beans in Salad {French Cook). 
String the beans and boil them whole ; when boiled tender, 
and they have become cold, slice them lengthwise, cutting each 
bean into four long slices ; place them neatly, the slices all ly- 
ing in one direction, 
crosswise on a platter. 
Season them an hour 
or two before serving, 
with a marinade of a 
little pepper, salt, and 
three spoonfuls of vinegar to one spoonful of oil. Just before 
serving, drain from them any drops that may have collected. 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. ii'27 

and carefully mix them with a French dressing. This makes 
a delicious salad. 

Chicken Salad. 

Boil a young tender chicken, and when cold separate the 
meat from the bones ; cut it into little square blocks or dice ; 
do not mince it. Cut white tender stalks of celery into about 
three quarter-inch lengths, saving the outside green stalks for 
soups ; mix the chicken and celery together ; and then stir well 
into them a mixture in the proportion of three table-spoonfuls 
of vinegar to one table-spoonful of oil, with pepper, salt, and a 
little mustard to taste. Put this aside for an hour or two, or 
until just before serv- 
ing ; this is called 
marinating the chick- 
en ; it will absorb the 
vinegar, etc. When 
about to serve, mix 
the celery and chick- 
en with a Mayonnaise 

sauce, leaving a portion of the sauce to mask the top. Re- 
serve several fresh ends or leaves of celery with which to gar- 
nish the dish. Stick a little bouquet of these tops in the centre 
of the salad, then a row of them around it. From the centre 
to each of the four sides sprinkle rows of capers. Sometimes 
slices or little cut diamonds of hard-boiled eggs are used for 
garnishing. 

Chicken salad is often made with lettuce instead of celery. 
Marinate the chicken alone ; add it to the small tender leaves 
(uncut) of the lettuce the last moment before serving ; then 
pour Mayonnaise dressing over the top. Garnish with little 
centre-heads of lettuce, capers, cold chopped red beets if you 
choose, or sliced hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes little strips of 
anchovy are added for a garnish. When on the table it should 
all be mixed together. Many may profit by this receipt for 
chicken salad ; for it is astonishing how few understand mak- 
ing so common a dish. It is generally minced, and mixed with 
hard-boiled eggs, etc., for a dressing. 




FBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Chicken Salad {Car erne's Receipt). 
Take some tender pullets ; fry them in the saute pan, or 
roast them ; when cold, cut them up, skinning and trimming 
them neatly. Put the pieces into a tureen, with some salt, pep- 
per, oil, vinegar, some sprigs of parsley, and an onion cut into 
slices; mix all well together; cover, and let stand for some 
hours ; then, just before serving, drain the salad, taking care to 
remove all bits of onion, etc., and place it tastefully on lettuce- 
leaves, with the hearts of the lettuce on top, and cover with a 
Mayonnaise dressing. 

Mayonnaise of Salmon. 

Remove the skin and bones from a piece of salmon, boiled 
and cooled, and cut it into pieces two inches long. Marinate 
them, i. e., place them in a dish, and season them with salt, 
pepper, a little oil, and, in this case, plenty of vinegar, some 
parsley, and a little onion cut up ; then cover, and let them 
stand two or three hours. In the mean time, cut up some hard- 
boiled eggs into four or eight pieces for a border. Cover the 
bottom of the salad-dish with lettuce-leaves, seasoned with a 
French dressing ; place your salmon slices in a ring on the let- 
tuce, pouring in the centre a Mayonnaise sauce. Sprinkle ca- 
pers over the whole. 

Other kinds of fish, such as pike, blue -fish, and flounders, 
make very good salads, arranged in the same way. Careme, 
Gouffe, and Francatelli fry their fish and fowl in a saute pan, 
instead of boiling them. If you do not make use of remnants 
of salmon left from the table, you can form better-shaped slices 
by cutting the fish into little shapes before it is boiled. If you 
\yish to boil them, immerse them in warm water (with vinegar 
and salt added) in a wire basket, or drainer. 

Salad a la Filley. 

Ingredients : Cottage cheese, hard-boiled egg, cives. 

Arrange cives on a salad-dish in such a manner as to form 
a nest ; put into the nest whole hard-boiled eggs (shelled), one 
for each person at table, alternated with little round pakes of 



PliACTlVAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 229 



cottage cheese. In 
serving, place upon 
each plate an egg^ a 
cake of cottage cheese, 
and some of the cives. 
Each person cuts all 
together, and puts on the French dressing of oil, vinegar, pep- 
per and salt. 




FRITTERS. 

French Fritter Batter (French Cook), No. 1. 
Put a heaping cupful of flour into a bowl ; add two yolks of 
eggs, a table-spoonful of olive oil, which is better than melted 
butter, and one or two table-spoonfuls of brandy, wine, or lem- 
on-juice.* Stir it well, adding, little by little, water enough to 
give it the thickness of ordinary batter. This may be used at 
once ; but it is better to put it away for a day, or even for a 
week. At the moment of cooking, stir in well the whites of 
two eggs beaten to a very stiff froth. 

Fritter Batter (No. 2). 

Ingredients : One pint of milk, three eggs, a little salt, one 
pint of flour. It can be made with or without a tea-spoonful 
of baking-powder. 

Beat the eggs well ; add part of the milk and salt, then the 
flour and milk alternately, beating it all quickly, and cooking it 
immediately, dropping it by the spoonful into boiling-hot lard. 
The fritters are improved by using prepared flour, Horsford's 
or Hecker's being especially good. 

Pine-apple, Apple Preserve, or Peach Fritters. 

^ Add a pint or less of any of these fruits, cut into small 

pieces, to either of the above receipts. When done, sprinkle 
sugar over the tops. 



* The brandy, wine, or lemon-juice may be omitted if preferred. 



230 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Oyster or Clam Fritters (No. 1). 
Chop, not too fine, twenty -five of either clams or oysters 
(bearded or not), and mix them in the fritter batter of either 
of the above receipts. 

Clam Fritters (No. 2). 
Strain one pint of clams, saving the juice ; add to this juice 
sufficient water to make one pint; mix into it one egg, well 
beaten, and sufficient prepared flour to make a light batter, also 
the clams chopped, and some salt. Drop by the spoonful into 
boiling-hot lard. 

Kentish Fritters {Mrs. Acton). 
Beat up the whites of three eggs and the yolks of six, with 
half a pound of flour, a cupful of milk, and a large tea-spoonful 
of yeast. Put the mixture into a jar, and set it near the stove 
until the next day ; then add to the batter two large apples 
chopped. Drop this by the spoonful into boiling lard. Sprin- 
kle over sugar. 

Fried Cream {Creme Frite). 

Every one should try this receipt: It will surprise many to 
know how soft cream could be enveloped in the crust, while it 
is an exceedingly good dish for a dinner course, or for lunch or 
tea. When the pudding is hard, it can be rolled in the egg 
and bread-crumbs. The moment the egg touches the hot lard 
it hardens and secures the pudding, which softens to a creamy 
substance very delicious. 

Ingredients : One pint of milk, five ounces of sugar (little 
more than half a cupful), butter the size of a hickory -nut, 
yolks of three eggs, two table - spoonfuls of corn starch, and 
one table - spoonful of flour (a generous half cupful altogeth- 
er), stick of cinnamon one inch long, one half tea-spoonful of 
vanilla. 

Put the cinnamon into the milk, and when it is just about to 
boil stir in the sugar, and the corn starch and flour, the two 
latter rubbed smooth with two or three table-spoonfuls of ex- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 231 



tra cold milk; stir it over the fire for fully two minutes, to 
cook well the starch and flour ; take it from the fire, stir in the 
beaten yolks of the eggs, and return it a few moments to set 
them ; now, again taking it from the fire, remove the cinnamon, 
stir in the butter and vanilla, and pour it on a buttered platter 
until one-third of an inch high. When cold and stiff, cut the 
pudding into parallelograms, about three inches long and two 
inches wide ; roll these carefully, first in sifted cracker-crumbs, 
then in eggs (slightly beaten and sweetened), then again in the 
cracker-crumbs. Dip these into boiling-hot lard (a wire basket 
should be used if convenient), and when of fine color take them 
out, and place them in the oven for four or five minutes to bet- 
ter soften the pudding. Sprinkle over pulverized sugar, and 
serve immediately. 

Peach, Apricot, or Apple Fritters {French Cook). 
The fresh or the canned fruit may be used. If fresh, pare, 
core, and cut them in halves. In either case, let them remain 
two or three hours in brandy, rum, or wine, with plenty of 
sugar sprinkled over, with some grated lemon peel or zest. 
When they have absorbed the flavor of these surroundings, 
drain, and dip them into the fritter batter (No. 1). If rum is 
used for marinating the fruit, it should be also used in the bat- 
ter. When the fritters are done and well drained, sprinkle pow- 
dered sugar over them. 

Bread Fritters. 
Having cut off the crust, cut the bread into any shape pre- 
ferred, such as squares, circles, diamonds, etc. Let it soak in 
custard (milk, one or two eggs, sugar, and a flavoring of either 
lemon-zest, or vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, rose-water, brandy, or 
wine). When well soaked (not enough, however, to break into 
pieces), roll it first in bread crumbs, then in beaten egg (sweet- 
ened and flavored), and again in bread or cracker crumbs, and 
fry in boiling lard. Serve the fritters sprinkled with powdered 
sugar, with or without a sweet sauce. 



Pork Fritters (see page 164). 



■ f 



232 PRACTICAL COOKING, AM) DINNIJR GIVING. 

Corn Fritters. 
Ingredients : The corn cut from seven ears, one pint of milk, 
one egg beaten, salt, prepared flour enough to make a light 
batter. Drop by the table-spoonful into boiling-hot lard. 

Apple Fritters. 
Pare some fine apples, and with an apple-corer cut out the 
core from the centre of each ; now cat them across in slices, 
about one-third of an inch thick, having the round opening in 
the centre ; dip these in either fritter batter No. 1 or No. 2 ; 
fry in boiling lard ; sprinkle over sugar, and serve in a circle, 
one overlapping the other, with or without a sweet sauce in 
the centre. 



PASTRY. 



Professional cooks use butter for pastry. Puff paste 
should never be attempted with lard or a half mixture of it. 
If lard or clarified beef suet is used, the pastry of an indiffer- 
ent cook will be improved by adding a little baking-powder to 
the flour and rolling the paste very thin. 

It is not difficult to make puff paste. In winter, when it is 
freezing outdoors, or in summer, when a refrigerator with ice 
in it is at hand, it is very little more trouble to make puff 
paste than any other kind. The simple rolling of the dough 
to form layers requires very little practice. The only secret 
left, after using cold water and butter cold enough not to pen- 
etrate the dough, is to have it almost at a freezing-point, or at 
least thoroughly chilled, as it is put into a hot oven. 

The vols-au-vent of strawberries, or berries of any kind, or of 
jellies, or of lemon paste (see page 244), and also rissoles, are 
especially fine, and are quickly made. 

As hundreds of different dishes can be made with pastry, 
and as Careme has devoted a good -sized volume to the sub- 
ject, I will copy his receipt for puff paste. It is not modest, 
perhaps, to put my own first ; but it is for the benefit of more 
ordinary cooks, who will never take extra trouble to be perfect. 



PliAVTICAL iJOOKING, AND DI^'NEK GIVING. 333 

Puff Paste. 

Ingredients : One pound of flour, three-quarters of a pound 
of butter, yolks of two eggs, a little salt, a sprinkle of sugar, a 
little very cold (or, better, ice-cold) water. (All the profession- 
al cooks use a pound of butter to a pound of flour. I think it 
makes the pastry too rich, and prefer three-quarters of a pound 
of butter to a pound of flour.) 

Sift and weigh the flour, and put it on the board or marble 
slab ; sprinkle a little salt and a very little sugar over it. Beat 
the yolks of the eggs, and then stir into them a few spoonfuls 
of ice-cold water ; pour this slowly into the centre of the flour 
with the left hand, working it at the same time well into the 
mass with the tips of the fingers of the right hand. Continue 
to work it, turning the fingers round and round on the board, 
until you have a well -worked, smooth, and firm paste. Now 
roll it out into a rectangular form, being particular to have 
the edges quite straight. Much of success depends upon the 
even folding of the paste. Work the butter (which should be 
kept some minutes in very cold water if it is at all soft) until 
the moisture and salt are wiped out, and it is quite supple ; care 
must be taken, however, to keep the butter from getting too 
soft, as in this condition it would ruin the paste. Divide it into 
three equal parts ; spread one part as flatly and evenly as pos- 
sible over half of the crust, turn the other half over it, folding 
it a second time from right to left. Roll this out to the same 
rectangular form as before; spread the second portion of the 
butter on half of the crust ; fold and roll it out again as before, 
repeating the same process with the third portion of butter. 
The paste has now been given what they call three turns ; it 
should be given six turns, turning and rolling the paste after 
the butter is in. However, after the first three turns, or after 
the butter is all in, the paste should be placed on the ice, or in 
a cold place, to remain about ten or fifteen minutes between 
each of the last three turns: this will prevent the butter get- 
ting soft enough to penetrate the dough. Each time before 
the dough is folded, it should be turned half round, so as to 
roll it in a different direction each time ; this makes the layers 



234 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 

more even. In order to turn the paste, the end may be held to 
the rolHng-pin ; then, rolling the pin, the dough will fold loose- 
ly around it ; the board may be sprinkled with flour ; then the 
dough can be unrolled in the side direction. This is better 
than to turn it with the hands, as it should be handled as little 
as possible. When folded the last time, put the paste on a 
platter, cover, and place it on the ice for half an hour, or w^here 
it may become thoroughly chilled ; then roll it out for imme- 
diate use ; or, so long as it is kept in a half-frozen state, it may 
be kept for one or two days. Firm, solid butter should be se- 
lected for puff paste ; a light, crumbling butter would be very 
unsuitable. After the pies, patties, or other articles are made 
(as in receipts), the scraps may be used for making rissoles. 
Always select the coolest place possible for making puff paste. 
In winter it is well to make it by an open window. 

Careme's Receipt for Puff Paste. 

Ingredients : Twelve ounces of fine sifted flour, twelve ounces 
of butter, two drams of fine salt, and the yolks of two eggs 
beaten. 

Manner of working: Having placed twelve ounces of flour 
on the board, make a small hole in the middle, into which put 
two drams of fine salt, the yolks of two eggs, and nearly a 
glass of water. With the ends of the fingers gradually mix 
the flour with the ingredients, adding a little water when nec- 
essary, till the paste is of a proper consistence — rather firm 
than otherwise. Then lean your hand on the board, and work 
it for some minutes, when the paste will become soft to the 
touch and glossy in appearance. 

Care must be taken, in mixing the flour with the liquid in- 
gredients, that they do not escape, and that the paste be very 
lightly gathered together, to prevent it from forming into 
lumps, which render it stiff, and very difficult to be worked, 
thereby in some degree causing a failure, which is easily ascer- 
tained by the paste, when drawn out, immediately receding, 
which arises from its having been clumsily and irregularly 
mixed. To remedy this, let it be carefully rolled out, placing 
here and there five or six pieces of butter, each the size of a 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 235 

nutmeg, when, after working it as before, it will acquire the de- 
gree of softness necessary. It is of importance to observe that 
this paste should be neither too soft nor too hard, but of a 
proper medium ; yet it is better to be a little too soft than too 
stiff. One should not choose a hot place in which to make 
paste : for this reason, summer renders the operation quite dif- 
ficult. If one can not find a cool place, the paste might be 
slightly stiffer in summer than in winter. 

When the paste has been made as above, take thi'ee-quarters of 
a pound of butter in pieces, which has been twenty minutes in 
ice-water, well washed and pounded. Squeeze and work it well 
in a napkin, in order to separate the water from it, and at the 
same time to render it soft, and, above all, of an equal consist- 
ence ; then, as quickly as possible, roll the paste into a square on 
a marble slab (the ends must be perfectly even, as much success 
depends upon folding) ; place the butter in the middle ; spread 
it over half the paste, immediately turning over the other half of 
the paste to cover it. Then roll the paste out about three feet 
in length ; fold it into three parts by doubling one part over the 
other ; after which roll it out again, and fold it once more into 
three equal parts ; now roll it to a greater length, fold it, and 
put it quickly on a plate sprinkled with flour. Place this upon 
ten pounds of pounded ice, then, covering it with a second 
plate, put upon that one pound of broken ice. This plate 
serves to keep the surface of the paste cool, and also to pre- 
vent its becoming soft by the action of the air. After two or 
three minutes, remove the plate, and turn the paste upside 
down, instantly covering it as before. After about fifteen 
minutes, roll it out, and use it as expeditiously as possible. 

Thus, in less than half an hour, it is possible to make very 
fine puff paste, having previously every thing ready — the ice 
pounded, the butter frozen, and the oven quite hot ; for other- 
wise it can not be done. This is all-important, as it is some- 
times an hour before the oven can be made hot. When the 
oven is half heated, begin to make the paste. 

The great variety of elegant and delicate forms* this paste is 

* Francatelli used three oblong tin pans, three inches deep, instead of 
plates, the under and upper pans serving to hold the pounded ice. — Ed. 



230 PRACTICAL COOKINO, AND DINNEM GIVING. 

made to assume justifies one for giving such explicit instruc- 
tions, and repays one for all necessary pains to make it. 

For Pies. 

I mean Yankee pies. Our English cousins, when speaking 
of pies, mean only meat-pies, calling our pies tarts. When the 
paste is fitted over the pie-plate, cut round the edge of it with 
a sharp knife dipped in flour. Now cut a long curved strip, 
about three-quarters of an inch wide, wet slightly the top of 
the paste on the pie-plate near the edge (not the edge), and fit 
the strip around the pie, the edges coming together. Fill the 
pie, and place in the oven as soon as possible. 

Pie Paste of Lard and Butter (Mrs. Treat), 
Rub a half pound of fresh lard into a pound of flour; use 
just enough of very cold water to bind it together ; roll it out 
rather thin, and spread butter over the surface ; now fold the 
paste, turning it twice ; roll it out again, dredging the board (a 
marble slab is preferable) with flour; spread on more butter 
as before, and fold it again. The same process is continued a 
third time, using in all a quarter of a pound of butter, which 
should at first be divided into three equal parts.* 

A Common Paste (for Meat-pies and Puddings). 

Ingredients : One pound of flour, half a pound of lard, two 
tea-spoonfuls of yeast-powder, and a little cold water. 

First mix well the yeast-powder into the sifted flour; then 
rub in very carelessly and lightly the lard, distributing it in 
rather coarse pieces. Now pour in enough cold water to bind 
it together loosely, using the separated fingers of the right 
hand to turn the flour lightly, while the water is being poured 
in with the left hand ; roll it out in its rough state ; prepare 
the dish, and bake or boil immediately. 

An Apple-pie (Careme). 

Select fine apples ; pare them, and take out the cores with- 

* Four cupfuls of sifted flour are a pound ; one cupful of lard or butter 
is half a pound. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 237 

out breaking them. Boil several whole in a stew-pan with a 
little lemon -juice, a very little of the yellow part of the peel, 
some sugar, and enough water to cover them, until nearly done. 
Quarter other apples ; put them also on the fire with a little 
water, lemon-peel, lemon-juice, and sugar ; boil these to a kind 
of marmalade ; add some butter and peach marmalade, and rub 
it through a colander. Have some pie-plates covered with puff 
paste ; fill the bottom with the marmalade, and put in four 
small apples (whole) to each pie, filling the cavities between 
with peach marmalade. Put two strips of crust (half an inch 
wide) across the pie, which will divide the apples. Bake in a 
quick oven. This is especially good served with cream. 

A Plain Apple-pie (Miss Amanda Newton). 

Slice pippin apples, and put them between two layers of 
pie-paste, with enough water to keep them moist. When they 
are baked, lift the crust carefully off with a knife, and put it 
aside; now mash the apples with a spoon, season them with 
plenty of sugar, butter, and grated nutmeg ; replace the top 
crust and sprinkle sugar over it. These pies are especially 
nice when freshly made, then allowed to cool, and served with 
cream poured over each piece as it is cut, ready to be eaten. 

I think the flavor of the apple is better preserved in this 
manner than if the seasoning were cooked in it. However, 
many stew the apples first, before baking them in the pie. 

Fruit and Berry Pies, or Tarts. 

In England, only an upper crust is made. In this country 
there is generally only an under crust, with bars of paste crossed 
over the top. I prefer this mode ; but these tarts should always 
be served fresh, or the under crust will become soaked and un- 
wholesome. The berries or fruits are first stewed with sugar 
to taste, then baked, or not baked in the crust, as preferred. 

Lemon-pie (Mrs. Hunt), No. 1. 
Ingredients : One heaping table-spoonful of corn starch, one 
cupful of boiling water, one cupful of sugar, one egg, one table- 
spoonful of butter, and one small lemon. 



238 PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Moisten a heaping table-spoonful of corn starch with a little 
cold water, then add a cupful of boiling water; stir this over 
the fire for two or three minutes, allowing it to boil, and cook 
the starch ; add a tea-spoonful of butter and a cupful of sugar ; 
remove the mixture from the fire, and when slightly cooled, add 
an egg, well -beaten, and the juice and grated rind of a fresh 
lemon. This makes one pie, and should be baked with the crust. 

Lemon-pie {Long Branch), No. 2. 

Ingredients: Four eggs, four table-spoonfuls of sugar, two- 
thirds of a cupful of flour, nearly a quart of milk, two small 
lemons, a little salt.* 

Bake two under-crusts. Mix the egg-yolks and sugar well 
together. Bring the milk to the boiling-point, then add the 
flour mixed with some of the milk, to prevent lumping. Stir 
it until it has thickened and cooked, when remove it from the 
fire to stir in the yolks and sugar ; return it for a minute to set 
the eggs; again remove it, and flavor with lemon -juice and 
grated rind ; when the crusts are done, spread over cream, and 
over this spread the beaten whites of the eggs sweetened and 
flavored. Put it into the oven a few minutes to color. 

Orange-pie {Mrs. Miller). 

Ingredients : Half a pound of sugar, quarter of a pound of 
butter, two oranges, six eggs. 

Grate the rinds of the oranges, and squeeze the juice. Cream 
the butter, and by degrees add the sugar. Beat in the yolks 
of the eggs (already well beaten), then the rind and juice of 
the oranges. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and 
mix them lightly in the other ingredients. Bake in paste-lined 
tin pie-plates. ^ 

Pumpkin-pie {Mrs. Otis, of Boston), No. 1. 

Pare a small pumpkin, and take out the seeds ; stew it rather 
dry, and strain it through a colander ; add two quarts of milk, 

* If fresh lemons can not be obtained, the extract of lemon may be 
used. Do not let the pies remain in the tins. 



PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 239 

three eggs, and three table - spoonfuls of molasses ; let the re- 
mainder of the sweetening (to taste) be of sugar; season it 
with two table-spoonfuls of ground cinnamon, one of ginger, 
and two tea-spoonfuls of salt. 

Pumpkin-pie (No. 2). 

Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, and bake with the skins 
on ; scoop out the soft pumpkin pulp, and proceed as with 
stewed pumpkin. 

Mince-pies {Mrs. Bonner), No. 1. 

Ingredients : Four pounds of lean, cold boiled meat chopped 
fine, nine pounds of apples chopped fine, one and a half pounds 
of su'Ct chopped fine, three pounds of raisins, two pounds of 
currants, half a pound of citron sliced fine, five pounds of su- 
gar, three tea-spoonfuls of ground cloves, ten tea-spoonfuls of 
ground cinnamon, five tea-spoonfuls of ground mace, one tea- 
spoonful of ground black pepper, six table-spoonfuls of salt, one 
quart of cider and vinegar mixed 'with one quart of molasses. 

Mix all, and add the juice and grated rinds of two lemons; 
or, instead of cider, vinegar, and molasses, one quart of sherry 
and one pint of brandy may be substituted. Keep this mince- 
meat in stone jars ; add a little more liquor, if it should become 
too dry, when about to make pies. 

Mince-pies (Mrs. Hazard), No. 2. 
Boil, until tender, a beef's tongue which has been kept in salt 
four or five days ; when cold, chop it fine, and add to it two 
pounds of suet (also chopped fine), two pounds of raisins, two 
pounds of Zante currants (previously washed and drained), 
twelve large apples (chopped), four pounds of sugar, the grated 
rind of one, and the juice and pulp of two large oranges, a cup- 
ful of strawberry or of raspberry jam, a cupful of quince pre- 
serve, three-quarters of a pound of citron shaved fine, two ta- 
ble-spoonfuls of ground cinnamon, and one table-spoonful of 
nutmeg. Moisten it with the spiced vinegar from the sweet 
peach-pickle jar, and add the juice and grated rinds of four 
lemons. 



340 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Potato-pie {Mrs. Osborne). 

Ingredients : Two pounds of boiled potatoes sifted, six eggs, 
three-quarters of a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one 
lemon grated and squeezed into the potatoes while hot, half a 
nutmeg grated, half a pint of wine, one and a half of rich milk. 

Rub the sugar and butter to a cream ; add the yolks well 
beaten, then the potatoes, etc., lastly the whites of the eggs 
beaten to a stiff froth. Bake with an under crust only. 

Pine-apple-pie (^^ Choice Receipts''''). 

Ingredients: A grated pine-apple and its weight in sugar, 
half its weight in butter, five eggs (the whites beaten to a stiff 
froth), one cupful of cream. 

Cream the butter, and beat it with the sugar and yolks until 
very light ; add the cream, the pine-apple, and the whites of the 
eggs. Bake with an under crust. To be eaten cold. 

Chess-pie. 

A gentleman friend spoke to me so often about a wonderful- 
ly delicious pie that a lady friend in the country made, that it 
is not surprising that a person of my culinary tastes should 
have been very curious. "I will send for the receipt," said 
I. "But that will not benefit you," he replied, "for I have 
given the receipt to several of my friends, and they never suc- 
ceed. Instead of the light production three or four inches high 
of my country friend, the others are heavy, waxy affairs, very 
different." I actually took a little journey to see the lady, to 
get any side explanations from her own lips. I was repaid, as 
you will see by trying the pie. 

Ingredients : For two pies, five eggs, three quarters of a cup- 
ful of butter, one cupful of sugar, and necessary flavoring. 

Beat the yolks and sugar together until they are a perfect 
froth. Beat the butter until it is a creamy froth also. Now 
quickly add them together, flavoring with a little extract of 
vanilla. Bake it in a crust : it will rise very light. As soon 
as done, have ready the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff 
froth, sweetened with a little sugar, and flavored with a few 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 241 

drops of the extract. Spread this over the tops of the pies, 
which return to the oven, to receive a delicate coloring. 

The lady says the secret of the pies not becoming heavy is 
in cutting them, and distributing them on the plates, as soon as 
they are cooked, and still hot ; that if they are allowed to cool 
without cutting them, they will fall. This is rather strange ; 
nevertheless, it seems to be true. 

Small Vols-au-vent, or Patty-cases. 

Make puff paste as before described; give it six or seven 
turns, wetting the top of the paste, before turning it the last 
time, with water or a little lemon -juice; roll it out evenly 
about a third of an inch thick. Cut out as many cakes as are 
required with a circular tin cutter (a scolloped one is prettier) 
about two inches in diameter. Now take a second cutter about 
half an inch smaller in diameter than the first, and press it into 
the tops of the patties, allowing it to sink half-way through 
the crust ; or cut the patties with a sharp penknife, tracing it 
around a little paste-board model. 

When all are cut, brush over the tops with beaten e^^., being 
careful not to moisten the edges ; if they are to be filled with 
sweetmeats, sprinkle 
sugar over the tops. 
When baked, take off 
the marked -out cov- 
ers, and cut out the 
centres without de- 
facing the outsides. Keep them in a warm place until just 
before serving, when they should be filled, and covered with 
the little crust tops. 

In entertaining, it will be found very convenient to purchase 
patty -cases at the confectioner's. They can be reheated the 
last five minutes, and filled with any thing preferred made at 
home. They are also quite cheap. 

Oysters for Yols-au-vent, Scallop-shells, or served on 
Buttered Toast for Breakfast (No. 1). 
Bring a canful or a quart of oysters to the boiling-point in 




242 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

their liquor ; then drain them. Put butter the size of half an 
egg into a saucepan, and when hot add half a small onion (cut 
very fine) and a tea-spoonful of flour, stirring them well ; add 
then half a tea-cupful of the juice in a can of mushrooms, pepper, 
salt, a sprig of parsley (cut very fine), half a box of mushrooms 
(chopped not too fine) ; then add the oysters. Stir all together 
over the fire for a minute ; add a few drops of lemon - juice. 
This is a very nice filling for vols-au-vent made as in receipt. 

Oysters for Vols-au-vent, Scallop-shells, or served on 
Buttered Toast for Breakfast (No. 2). 
Put the oysters on the fire in their own liquor, and when 
they are just beginning to simmer sMm them out quickly with 
a perforated ladle ; if there is too much juice in the saucepan, 
pour out all except what is necessary for making a sauce of 
creamy thickness for the oysters ; skim this well, and make it 
as thick as rich cream with flour and butter smoothed togeth- 
er (roux). Season it well with salt and Cayenne pepper ; some 
add also a little nutmeg. When cooked enough, take the sauce 
off the fire, add the yolks of two or three eggs well beaten, and 
the oysters. Let them merely become hot again on the range 
without allowing them to boil. Serve immediately. If these 
preparations are used for scallop-shells, sprinkle some cracker- 
crumbs over the tops, and brown them quickly with a salaman- 
der. 

VoLS-AU-VENT OF OySTERS (No. 3). 

Fill the vols-au-vent (made as in preceding article) with oys- 
ters prepared as follows : Beard and put them into a stew-pan 
with a little stock; as soon as they are cooked, cut them in 
two ; add three or four table-spoonfuls of the oyster-liquor to 
the stock, and add to it a roux of a little butter and flour ; add 
then a very little cayenne, a little nutmeg, and two or three ta- 
ble-spoonfuls of cream. It should be rather thicker than cream. 
Fill the pastry the last thing before serving, and cover with the 
tops. 

YOLS-AU-VENT OF SwEET-BREADS. 

Prepare the sweet-breads as described in receipt for frying 
them in the saute pan (see page 152), preparing also the same 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 343 

cream -sauce. After the sweet -breads are cooked, cut them 
into dice, or into rather small pieces ; fill the vols-au-vent with 
them, pouring over them a little of the cream-sauce ; cover with 
the vols-au-vent tops. 

VoLS-Au-vENT OF Chickens, Shrimps, Salmon, Mushrooms, 
Veal, Game, etc. 

Fill the vols-au-vent with almost any kind of meat or fish 
cut into dice, pouring over them a very little sauce. Do not 
add too much sauce, as it would run through the sides. For 
chicken, a Bechamel or a cream sauce is good ; for shrimps, a 
shrimp - sauce ; for salmon or any other kind of fish, Hollan- 
daise, shrimp, pickle, or any fish sauce ; for veal or lamb, a little 
thickened gravy. This is a very good way of using up rem- 
nants of any kind of fish or meat. 

Vols-au-vent, with Strawberries, Raspberries, or Cur- 
rants {English Lady). 

Instead of sprinkling sugar over the tops of the vols-au-vent, 
glaze them on top with four ounces of sugar boiled to a can- 
dy, on which sprinkle some fine pieces of pounded loaf-sugar. 
Take about one-fourth of the ripest of the strawberries to be 
used, mash them fine, add a little more sugar to what remains 
of the sugar used for glazing, and after boiling it so that it is 
not quite ready to candy, add the mashed strawberries and their 
juice ; skim the mixture, and as soon as it sticks to the fingers 
take it off the fire. 

Just before serving, fill the vols-au-vent with the fresh straw- 
berries, and cover them with the sirup, when it is cold. Pro- 
ceed in the same manner with raspberries and red and white 
currants. 

Vols-au-vent, with Strawberries, etc. 
When the vols-au-vent are nearly or quite done, take them 
out of the oven, brush the tops over with the white of an Oi^g, 
then sprinkle over this coarse sugar; return them to the oven 
to set the glaze. At the moment of serving, fill the vols-au- 
vent with fresh strawberries, raspberries, or any kind of pre- 



244 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

served fruit. Place a few spoonfuls of whipped cream over 
the tops of the fruit. 

Lemon Paste {for Tarts or Patties). 

To one pound of lump-sugar add six eggs, leaving out the 
whites of two, the juice of four large lemons, with the grated 
rinds of thrcQ of them, and one quarter of a pound of very good 
butter. Put all into a stew-pan, and stir gently over a slow fire 
(or set the basin into a pan of boiling water) until it becomes 
thick and looks like honey ; do not let it boil. Pour it into 
bottles or jars, and keep it in a cool place. It will keep three 
or four years. 

Bake the crust for the tarts. Put in a little of the lemon 
paste while the crusts are hot. Then return them to the oven, 
to remain until the paste is nicely melted, when the tarts will be 
quite ready. 

Mince-meat Patties. 

Either make or purchase the patty - shells, and just before 
serving fill them with mince -meat (see page 239), and heat 
them for a few minutes in the oven. 

Cream Rissoles {Rissoles a la Creme). 
The cream rissoles are made as meat rissoles (see page 142), 
substituting the corn-starch pudding described for fried cream 
(see page 230) for the prepared meat ; or the rissoles may be 
filled with apple-sauce, marmalade, or any of the stewed fruits 
or berries. 



CANNING. 



This is a most valuable manner of preserving vegetables and 
fruits. In cities where vegetables, fruits, or berries are bought 
at high prices, and perhaps not entirely fresh at that, my ex- 
perience has taught me that it is cheaper to buy the canned 
fruits than to have them put up in the house. In the country 
the expense is very little, as the cans may be purchased in 
quantities very cheap ; and, with proper care in cleaning and 
drying them, they can be used several times. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. '^5 

The manner of canning one kind of fruit or vegetable ap- 
plies to almost all kinds, except corn. I would not advise any 
one to attempt canning corn without the correct process di- 
rect from Mr. Winslow himself. By mixing corn and toma- 
toes together no difficulty will be found. Gumbo and tomato 
mixed are valuable for soup. Canned tomatoes are invaluable 
in a household. They are very easily managed, and are as de- 
sirable for soups and sauces as for a separate vegetable dish. 
If fruits or vegetables of any kind are quite fresh, and there is 
not too large a quantity scalded at one time to prevent careful 
management of each can, not one can in a hundred will be lost. 
I also advise the canning of sweetmeats of every kind. In that 
case the same amount of sugar is not required, and the fruit 
does not have to be boiled until the natural flavor is entirely 
lost. U glass jars are used instead of cans, they must be put 
on the fire in cold water with a plate or piece of wood in the 
bottom of the kettle. They should not be filled until the wa- 
ter is boiling, and then they will not be broken. They should 
be sealed as soon as possible after they are filled, and when 
they are cold the covers should again be tightened, as the glass 
will contract a little after cooling. 

To Can Tomatoes. 
Let them be entirely fresh. Put scalding water over them 
to aid in removing the skins. When the cans with their cov- 
ers are in readiness upon the table, the red sealing-wax (which 
is generally too brittle, and requires a little lard melted with it) 
is in a cup at the back of the fire, the tea-kettle is full of 
boiling water, and the tomatoes are all skinned, we are ready 
to begin the canning. First put four cans (if there are two 
persons, three if only one person) on the hearth in front of the 
fire ; fill them with boiling water. Put enough tomatoes in a 
porcelain preserving kettle to fill these cans ; add no water to 
them. With a good fire let them come to the boiling-point, 
or let them all be well scalded through. Then, emptying the 
hot water from the cans, fill them with the hot tomatoes ; wipe 
off the moisture from the tops with a soft cloth, and press the 
covers on tightly. While pressing each cover down closely 



346 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

with a knife, pour carefully around it the hot sealing-wax from 
the tin cup, so bent at the edge that the wax may run out in 
a small stream. Hold the knife still a moment longer, that the 
wax may set. When these cans are sealed, continue the opera- 
tion until all the tomatoes are canned. Now put the blade of 
an old knife in the coals, and when it is red-hot run it over 
the tops of the sealing-wax to melt any bubbles that may have 
formed; then, examining each can, notice if there is any hiss- 
ing noise, which will indicate a want of tightness in the can, 
which allows the steam to escape. If any holes are found, 
wipe them, and cover them while the cans are hot with a bit 
of the sealing-wax. There will be juice left after the tomatoes 
are canned. Season this and boil it down for catchup. 

To Can Peaches. 

Cling -stones are best. Pare, halve, and stone them. Boil 
the stones or pits until all the flavor is extracted ; then, having 
every thing in readiness, as described in the preceding article, 
pour off the water from the pits, and when it is at boiling- 
point, throw into it enough peaches to fill three or four cans ; 
sprinkle over sugar to taste, or about as much as would be sprin- 
kled over fresh peaches for the table. When just scalded, can 
them, placing round pieces of writing-paper dipped in brandy 
over the tops of the peaches before putting on the covers. 

Pears, plums, and all kinds of fruit and berries are thrown 
into a little boiling water sweetened to taste, scalded, and can- 
ned in the same manner as tomatoes. 

String-beans. 
Next to tomatoes, the vegetable easiest to can is, perhaps, the 
string-bean. Remove the tough strings at the sides, and break 
the bean into two or three pieces. When all ready, throw them 
into a little boiling water, scald, and then can them. 

Okra and Tomatoes 
are merely mixed and scalded together. Some add pepper 
and salt, yet these are not necessary in canning. This makes 
a most delicious soup added to a little stock. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 241 



Raspberries 
are especially easy to can. They are merely thrown into a lit- 
tle boiling water (which is slightly sweetened), scalded, and 
then canned. They are very wholesome and nice as a sauce 
for tea. 

Greengages 

should be canned without skinning. They should be well 
scalded m a little sweetened boiling water before canning. 

Corn. 

Since writing the preceding discouraging remark about corn, 
I have found, in a Supreme Court decision, Mr. Winslow's re- 
ceipt for canning corn, as follows : 

Fill the cans with the uncooked corn (freshly gathered) cut 
from the cob, and seal them hermetically ; surround them with 
straw to prevent them striking against each other, and put 
them into a boiler over the fire, with enough cold water to cov- 
er them. Heat the water gradually, and when they have boil- 
ed an hour and a half, puncture the tops of the cans to allow 
the escape of gases, then seal them immediately while they 
are still hot. Continue to boil them for two hours and a 
half. 

In packing the cut corn in the can, the liberated milk and 
juices surround the kernels, forming a liquid in which they are 
cooked. 

This process, patented by Mr. Winslow, is by far the best one 
for preserving the natural flavor of green sweet corn. 

Succotash. 
Lima beans and corn mixed. They should be boiled until 
they are thoroughly done. 

Corn and Tomatoes 
make a good combination for canning. The corn, however, 
should be thoroughly cooked, and mixed with the tomatoes, 
after the latter have been scalded merely. 



:M8 practical COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



PRESERVES. 

To make clear, good preserves requires : 1st. No economy of 
trouble; 2d. That the fruit be perfectly fresh, alive from the 
tree or bush, or, as a friend says, " tasting of the sun." 

The French make the clearest, best preserves, because they 
spare no pains. They first prepare their sirup or clarified 
sugar ; then, after neatly and carefully paring or dressing their 
fruit, cook a few pieces at a time, or only as many as they can 
oversee, carefully lifting each piece out of the sirup the mo- 
ment it is done. How they preserve strawberries in bottle 
(each little bottle of which sells for seventy-five cents), retain- 
ing the full flavor and almost the firmness of the fresh straw- 
berries, is something for me to investigate. 

I consider the peach marmalade the most valuable preserve, 
as it is useful in preparing desserts. It is a good sauce for 
almost any kind of pudding, especially corn -starch and rice 
puddings. Preserves are generally made too sweet. Before 
hermetically sealed cans or jars were in general use, it required 
a large quantity of sugar to keep the preserves from ferment- 
ing. Now, in using cans, one can suit the taste as to the sweet- 
ness of the preserve. I prefer tin cans to glass bottles, as some- 
times the bottled jelly or preserves will ferment, requiring a sec- 
ond cooking. Tin cans have never failed me. Others prefer 
bottles, having no trouble, they say, in tightening them perfect- 
ly. The citron preserve, flavored with root ginger and lemon, 
is a success. It has the flavor of the ginger preserve from the 
West Indies, which is so fashionable, expensive, and serviceable 
as an accompaniment for ice-cream, etc. ; it is also inexpensive. 

Apples preserved with a flavor of lemon and ginger are par- 
ticularly nice also ; of course, they are not as firm as citron, and 
do not imitate so well the ginger preserve. The outside of the 
water-melon (skinned) makes a clear, pretty preserve, flavored in 
the same manner. The next in favor is the greengage preserve, 
which is as clear and beautiful as it is delicate in flavor. Peach- 
es, unless made into marmalade, are better when canned with 
very little sugar than when preserved. Canned peaches, half- 
frozen when served, make a delicious dessert with cake. 



m ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 349 

First, then, for preserves tlie sirup must be made. I give the 
old rule ; yet, as before remarked, if canned, they may be made 
less sweet. I generally use half a pound of sugar to a pound 
of fruit. 

Sirup for Preserves. 

Put two pounds of the best white sugar, with one pint of 
fresh, clear water, into a white porcelain saucepan ; put it on 
the fire, and before the sirup becomes hot mix well into it the 
partly beaten white of an egg. When it begins to boil, remove 
the scum as it rises ; watch it constantly that it does not boil 
over ; and continue to boil it until no more scum rises. 

Now peach, pear, greengage, Siberian crab-apple, and cherry 
preserves are all made in the same manner. The peaches are 
neatly peeled, stoned, and halved. The pears are peeled, cored, 
and cut into two. The greengage makes a prettier preserve 
without being skinned — pricking them, and halving the stem. 
The French preserve greengages in this manner. Some think 
the skins of plums are tough in preserves, and throw them into 
boiling water to skin them. The Siberian crab - apple, which 
makes a very good preserve, is cored with a small tin tube or 
corer (see page 57). Half of the stem is cut from cherries. 
When the sirup is gently boiling, a few pieces are put into it 
at one time. They are boiled until they become just soft. Do 
not allow them to break. When the pieces are done, take them 
carefully out, and put more into the sirup until all are cooked ; 
pour the sirup over, and put them into jars. 

Many add a little juice of lemon to pear, crab -apple, and 
plum preserves. I would recommend a very little. In the 
case of peaches, more flavor is gained by boiling the pits, if 
they are cling-stone (which they should be — the White Heath 
being the best preserving peach), and after straining the water 
using it to make the sirup. They will be firmer by laying the 
uncooked peaches into the sirup, and letting them remain in 
it overnight, cooking them the next morning. Others harden 
fruit by letting it remain ten or fifteen minutes in alum-water. 
This impairs the flavor. However, for good, clear preserves, 
I prefer the first method of preserving them, using the pits for 
the water with which to make peach marmalade. Peach mar- 

11* 



250 rRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

malade and peach preserves should be made at the same time, 
when the peaches of less pretentious appearance can be used for 
the marmalade. Boil preserves without a cover to the kettle. 

Citron Preserves {Miss Leslie). 

The citrons can be pared, cored, and sliced, or cut into fancy 
shapes with cutters which are made for the purpose. To six 
pounds of the citron, use six pounds of sugar, four lemons, and 
a quarter of a pound of ginger-root. 

Put the slices of lemon into a preserving-kettle, and boil them 
for half an hour, or until they look clear, in a little clear water ; 
then drain them. Save the water, and put the slices into an- 
other dish with a little cold water; cover them, and let them 
stand overnight. In the morning wrap the root-ginger (bruised) 
in a thin muslin cloth ; boil it in three pints of clear water un- 
til the water is highly flavored, when take out the bag of gin- 
ger. Having broken up the loaf-sugar, put it into the preserv- 
ing-kettle with the ginger-water. When the sugar is all melt- 
ed, set it over the fire ; boil, and skim until no more scum rises. 
Then put in the pieces of citron and the juice of the lemons. 
Boil them in the sirup till all the slices are quite transparent. 
Do not allow them to break. When done, put them into the 
cans or jars, pouring the sirup carefully over them. If one de- 
sires to imitate the West Indies ginger preserve, the slices of 
lemon may not be added ; yet they are a pretty addition. 

Quince Preserves {Mrs. Hazard). 

Pare, core, and quarter the quinces. Select the best-looking 
quarters for the preserves; the inferior -looking ones reserve, 
with the cores and skins, for the marmalade. 

For the preserves, allow three-quarters of a pound of sugar 
to a pound of fruit. Make a sirup as before described (sirup 
for preserves), allowing one pint of water to two pounds of sug- 
ar. When it is clear, and still boiling-hot, add the hot quinces, 
which have been boiled in just enough clear water to cover 
them well — boiled until they are tender, or are easily pierced 
with a broom-straw — no longer. The preserves are now ready 
to be put away. With this proportion of fruit, water, and sug- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEli GIVING. 251 

ar, the preserves will not have much juice. What there is will 
form a thin, clear jelly around the quinces after they are kept a 
short time : the hot sirup will draw juice from the hot quinces 
to flavor and color it just enough. There is much difference in 
the choice of quinces. There is a kind which makes a white 
or light - colored preserve, very inferior in flavor to the large 
quince, which makes the red. 

Tomato Preserves {Mrs. Wilson). 
Choose little red, plum-shaped tomatoes, if red preserves are 
desired, and the small yellow ones for yellow preserves. Peel, 
and prick them with a large needle ; boil them slowly for half 
an hour in preserving-sirup, with the juice of one lemon to ev- 
ery two pounds of tomatoes ; add also a little bag of ginger- 
root; then skim out the tomatoes; let them remain two or 
three hours in the sun to harden. Put the white of an egg 
into the sirup ; boil and skim well, and pour it over the toma- 
toes. The old rule is a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. I 
prefer three-quarters of a pound of the former to a pound of 
the latter. The yellow tomatoes are preferable. 

Grape Preserves. 
Squeeze with your fingers the pulp from each grape. Put 
the pulps on the fire, and boil them Until they are tender ; then 
press them through a colander, so that the seeds may be t^ken 
out ; now add the skins to the pulps and juice. Put a cupful 
of sugar to each cupful of fruit, and boil all together until of 
a thick consistency. Green-grape preserves are also nice. In 
managing the green grapes, halve them, and extract the seeds 
with a small knife. Put also a cupful of sugar to a cupful of 
fruit. Many prefer the green to the ripe grape preserves. 

Apple Ginger. 
Boil ginger -root, tied in a thin muslin bag, in clear water 
until the water is well flavored ; make a sirup of this water 
and sugar, adding to it a little lemon-juice, and allowing three- 
quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of apples. When the 
sirup is skimmed clear, boil in it a few quarters of the apples 



253 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

at a time, until they become clear — no longer. Replace the ap- 
ples in the sirup when it becomes cold. The golden pippins 
should be used. This preserve can be made without ginger. 

Candied Fruits. 
Boil peaches, plums, pears, apricots, cherries, or almost any 
fruit dressed, in a thick sirup made with a tea-cupful of water 
to each pound of sugar, until tender — no longer. Let them re- 
main two days in the sirup ; then take them out, drain them, 
and sprinkle sugar over each piece separately. Dry them slow- 
ly in the sun or in an oven not too warm. 

MARMALADES. 

To produce the best marmalades, choose ripe and luscious 
fruits. Cut them into pieces, and put them into the preserv- 
ing-kettle with layers of sugar, placing fruit at the bottom. 

For marmalades of peach, pear, green grape, pine -apple, 
quince, or plum, allow three-quarters of a pound of sugar to a 
pound of fruit. If the fruit is not very juicy, add a little wa- 
ter. Be careful that the marmalade does not burn. When the 
whole begins to look clear, and becomes thick by cooling a por- 
tion of it on a plate, it is done, and may be put into jars at 
once. 

Quince Marmalade. 

^ve the water in which the quinces for preserving were 
boiled ; add to it the skins and cores, rejecting those which 
are worm-eaten or discolored. After boiling about half an 
hour, strain through a colander, allowing the pulp only to pass. 
To this juice add the reserved quince quarters and the sugar 
(three-fourths of a pound of sugar to one pound of fruit). Let 
all boil together slowly for about an hour and a half, stirring 
occasionally, and breaking the quinces into small pieces. When 
done, pour it into glasses or bowls. The marmalade will hard- 
en, and each mold will form a convenient little dish for lunch. 

Peach Marmalade 

is made as above. Yet more flavor may be obtained by boiling 
the pits until their flavor is extracted ; then remove them, and 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 253 

continue boiling the water until you have sufficient to add to 
the peaches. 

Orange Marmalade. 

Allow three-quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of 
fruit. Cut the peels so that they may be removed in four 
pieces. Boil these peels in a large quantity of water for two 
hours; then cut them into fine shreds. While these are boil- 
ing, press the inside of the oranges through a sieve fine enough 
to prevent the seeds and skin from passing through. For every 
five oranges, add the grated rind and juice of one lemon. Put 
all into a preserving-kettle with the sugar. When done, the mar- 
malade should be quite thick and solid. Cover closely in little 
preserving-jars. 

Raspberry Jam. 

Use three-quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. 
First boil the fruit a few minutes with very little water ; then 
add the sugar. Boil three-quarters of an hour, stirring well. Fill 
little jars or glasses, covering them first with papers soaked in 
brandy, and then with second papers moistened with the whites 
of eggs, and pressed against the sides of the glasses to exclude 
the air. 

Greengage Jam. 

Use three-quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. 
Skin and stem ripe greengages, and boil them quickly for three- 
quarters of an hour with the sugar, and only enough water to 
keep them from burning at first. Skim, and stir very frequently. 

Brandy Peaches. 
Use cling-stone peaches. Rub off the down from each one, 
and prick it to the stone with a silver fork. Make a sirup with 
half a pound of sugar for each pound of peaches, and half a tea- 
cupful of water for each pound of sugar ; also add a little white 
of egg slightly beaten. Skim, when it boils, as long as the scum 
rises. Then put in the peaches, boiling them slowly until they 
are just tender,. and no longer; then take them carefully out. 
Remove the sirup from the fire, and add to it half a pint of the 
best brandy to a pound of peaches. Now pour this over the 
peaches. Can them, or put them into jars, well secured. 



254 PMAGTICAL COOKING, AND UINNEIi 01 VINO. 

Apricots and greengages brandied are made in the same 
way. 

To Jelly Fruits. 

To make jelly clear, the fruit must be quite fresh, and all 
blemishes removed. Have the flannels used for straining per- 
fectly clean and white. Nearly all jellies are made in the same' 
way, whether currant, plum, Siberian crab -apple, gooseberry, 
quince, apple, peach, or grape. Some add less sugar to the 
sweeter fruits. The first five fruits mentioned are exceedingly 
easy to jelly ; the grape is often quite vexatious, with its per- 
verse inclinations. Cherries will not jelly without gelatine. 

After having freed the fruit from all blemishes, put them 
into a porcelain preserving-kettle, with only enough clear water 
to keep them from burning at first. Let them boil slowly until 
quite soft ; then, putting them into a flannel cloth, press from 
them all the juice possible. Strain the juice two or three times 
through a clean cloth ; then return it to the clean preserving- 
kettle, adding a cup of sugar for every cup of juice, and the 
beaten white of an Qgg for the whole. The rule is to boil the 
sirup (without stirring) very rapidly for twenty minutes, not 
counting the minutes until it begins to boil. The safest rule is 
to boil it until it runs a little thick upon the spoon ; then let it 
run through the jelly-bag without pressing it. If there is any 
fear of the jelly becoming too hard before it all runs through, 
place it near the fire. The most convenient jelly -strainer is 
made by fastening the four corners of a flannel cloth to a filter- 
stool (see page 57). K the first dripping of the jelly is not 
entirely clear, return it to the strainer until it runs perfectly 
limpid. Put the jelly into glasses ; and, after it has become 
quite firm, cut out little papers to fit the tops, which should be 
dipped in brandy. Place over these second papers larger ones, 
which have been dipped in the whites of eggs. Press the edges 
against the sides of the glasses, to exclude the air. 

Currant Jelly. 
Follow the preceding directions. A jelly of prettier color is 
obtained by mixing the white and red currants. Some take 
the trouble to make jelly from the white and red currants sep- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 355 

arately, then harden it in successive layers in the glasses. In 
this way, the jelly has to be made on different days, allowing 
time for each layer to harden. Another pretty arrangement is 
to melt the jelly the day before it is served at the table, and 
put it into a little jelly -mold. The next day it will be quite 
hard enough to turn out. 

Currant Jelly [from Scribner^s Monthly). 
" This receipt has three advantages : First, it never fails, as 
the old plan is sure to do five times out of eight ; secondly, it 
requires but half the usual quantity of sugar, and so retains the 
grateful acidity and peculiar flavor of the fruit; thirdly, it is 
by far less troublesome than the usual method. Weigh the 
currants without taking the trouble to remove the stems; do 
not wash them, but carefully remove leaves and whatever may 
adhere to them. To each pound of fruit allow half the weight 
of granulated or pure loaf sugar. Put a few currants into a 
porcelain-lined kettle, and press them with a potato-masher, or 
any thing convenient, in order to secure suflicient liquid to pre- 
vent burning; then add the remainder of the fruit, and boil 
freely for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burn- 
ing. Take out and strain carefully through a three-cornered bag 
of strong, close texture, putting the liquid into either earthen or 
wooden vessels — never in tin, as the action of the acid on tin 
materially affects both color and flavor. When strained, return 
the liquid to the kettle, without the trouble of measuring, and 
let it boil thoroughly for a moment or so, and then add the 
sugar. The moment the sugar is entirely dissolved, the jelly is 
done, and must be immediately dished, or placed in glasses. It 
will jelly upon the side of the cup as it is taken up, leaving no 
doubt as to the result. Gather the fruit early, as soon as fully 
ripe, since the pulp softens and the juice is less rich if allowed 
to remain long after ripening. In our climate, the first week 
in July is usually considered the time to make currant jelly. 
Never gather currants or other soft or small seed fruit immedi- 
ately after a rain for preserving purposes, as they are greatly 
impoverished by the moisture absorbed. In preserving all 
fruits of this class, if they are boiled until tender or transparent 



256 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

in a small quantity of water, and the sugar is added afterward, 
the hardness of the seeds, so objectionable in small fruits, will 
be thus avoided. A delicious jam may be made of blackber- 
ries, currants, and raspberries, or with currants with a few rasp- 
berries to flavor, by observing the above suggestion, and adding 
sugar, pound for pound, and boiling about twenty minutes." 

Mrs. Walworth's Currant Jelly. 

This jelly took the premium at the fair, for it was not only 
of fine flavor, but of crystal clearness. 

An equal proportion of red and white currants was placed 
in the whitest of porcelain kettles, with a very little clear wa- 
ter, just enough to keep the fruit from burning at first, and 
was boiled twenty minutes, then poured into a jelly-bag; this 
was not squeezed or touched until a quantity of clear liquid 
had run through. (The bag afterward can be well pressed, and 
the second juice can be made into an inferior jelly.) To each 
pint of the first clear liquid was added a pound of loaf-sugar ; 
it was then returned to the porcelain kettle (well cleaned), and, 
after it came to the boiling-point, was boiled twenty-five min- 
utes. The jelly was again passed through the bag, after being 
well cleaned. 

COMPOTES 
are fresh fruits boiled when needed, with very little sugar. I 
consider it a pity to cook or stew peaches, when they are so 
much better fresh, with sugar sprinkled over them and half- 
frozen. And what a destruction of fine pears ! However, com- 
potes are much appreciated and used in France. I value com- 
potes of apples, however, and also of inferior hard pears. The 
first two of the receipts are from Professor Blot. 

Sirup for Compotes. 
A pound of sugar in a porcelain stew-pan, with a pint of wa- 
ter, a wine-glass of brandy, and a small piece of grated cinna- 
mon. Set it on a slow fire, skimming off the foam ; boil it for 
ten minutes ; then, after cooling, bottle it, and by cooking well 
it will keep for months in a cool, dry place. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 357 



Compote of Peaches and Apricots. 

Cut the fruit in two ; take out the stones ; throw them into 
boiUng water (a very little lemon added) for two minutes ; then 
throw them into cold or ice water, taking* them out immediate- 
ly. This makes them white. Then peel them. Put a pint of 
water into a porcelain pan, and set it on a good fire ; when boil- 
ing-hot, put in the apricots or peaches, and skim off the foam ; 
as soon as soft, take them out, place them on a dish, and pour 
over sirup. 

Compote of Apples. 

Quarter, peel, core, and cook apples in a stew-pan, with a lit- 
tle water and sugar. Take out the apples when cooked. Boil 
down the sirup (adding sliced lemon and some raisins) to a jel- 
ly ; then pour it over the apples. Brandy added improves it. 

A Beautiful Stuffed Compote. 
Choose large fine pippins of equal size ; pare them, and take 
out the cores, leaving the apples entire ; cook them about three 
parts done in sirup ; drain and bake them a few moments in a 
quick oven. When they are done and still hot, fill the interior 
with peach marmalade. Now roll each apple in jelly produced 
by boiling down the sirup used to boil the apples ; this will 
give the apples a beautiful gloss. Dish them in pyramidal 
form ; put cream, or whipped cream, or a little maraschino, 
around the base. Or, form them into a dome, and pour over 
them a meringue of beaten whites of eggs and sugar, sticking 
regularly over the top sweet almonds cut into four lengths 
(same size) ; put it into the oven to brown. This looks like 
the apple hedgehog. Or, pour among the apples, before pour- 
ing over the meringue^ a marmalade of apples or boiled rice. 



PICKLES AND CATCHUPS. 
Pickles, for Country Use {Mrs. Shaw). 
Make a brine strong enough to bear the weight of an Q£^g. 
Into this put cucumbers fresh from the garden. They will 



258 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

keep in this brine indefinitely. Whenever fresh pickles are 
wanted, take out as many as are desired from the brine, and 
let them soak in fresh water two days, changing the water 
once. Now put two quarts of the best cider vinegar (to fifty 
cucumbers) on the fire in a porcelain kettle, with one ounce of 
whole pepper, half an ounce of mustard - seed, one ounce of 
ginger sliced, half an ounce of mace, a small stalk of horse- 
radish, a piece of alum the size of a large pea, and half a cup 
of sugar. Tie up the spices in three muslin bags. Boil all 
together ten minutes ; then pour all over the pickles. It is not 
necessary to scald the cucumbers, yet many do so, putting them 
into the kettle, with the vinegar and spices when cold, and cov- 
ering the bottom, sides, and top closely with cabbage leaves, 
which improve the color. If they are not green enough at the 
first scalding, scald them a second time, with fresh leaves around. 
This receipt is especially desirable for people living in the 
country, because, having many vines, the cucumbers of any 
size preferred can be picked each day, washed, and put into 
the brine. 

Indian Pickle. 

Ingredients : To every gallon of vinegar put four ounces of 
curry powder, four ounces of mustard powder, three ounces 
of bruised ginger, two drams of Cayenne pepper, two ounces 
of turmeric, two ounces of garlic, half a pound of onions 
(skinned), and a quarter of a pound of salt. 

Put all into a stone jar. Cover it with a bladder wet with 
the pickle, and keep it warm by the fire for three days, shak- 
ing it well three times a day. Any thing may be put into this 
preparation, excepting red cabbage and walnuts. Gather every 
thing fresh, such as small cucumbers, green grapes, green toma- 
toes, cauliflowers, small onions, nasturtiums, string-beans, etc., 
etc. Wipe them, cut them when too large, and throw them 
fresh into the vinegar. 

Chowchow Pickle {Miss Beltzhoover). 
Ingredients : One peck of green tomatoes, half a peck of 
ripe tomatoes, half a dozen onions, three heads of cabbage, 
one dozen green peppers, and three red peppers. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 259 

Chop them any size you choose, then sprinkle half a pint 
of salt over them. Put them into a coarse cotton bag. Let 
them drain twenty-four hours. Put them into a kettle, with 
three pounds of brown sugar, half a tea-cupful of grated horse- 
radish, one table-spoonful each of ground black pepper, ground 
mustard, white mustard, mace, and celery seed. Cover all wdth 
vinegar, and boil till clear. 

To Pickle Cauliflowers. 

Cut the cauliflowers into little flowerets of equal size. Throw 
them into boiling salted water. Place them at the back of the 
range, and when they are just about to boil take them off and 
drain them. Put them into jars. Boil (about fifteen minutes) 
enouo-h vineojar to well cover them, seasoninoj it with one ounce 
of nutmeg, one ounce of mustard-seed, and half an ounce of 
mace to three quarts of vinegar. Pour this hot over the cauli- 
flowers, adding a little sweet-oil the last thing, to cover the top. 
Cover them, while warm, with a bladder or fine leather over 
their corks. 

Pickled Walnuts. 

Ingredients : One hundred walnuts, salt and water, one gal- 
lon of vinegar, two ounces of whole black pepper, half an 
ounce of cloves, one ounce of allspice, one ounce of root ginger 
sliced, one ounce of mace. 

Gather the walnuts in July, when they are full grown. They 
should be soft enough to be pierced all through with a needle. 
Prick them all well through. Let them remain nine days in 
brine (four pounds of salt to each gallon of water), changing the 
brine every third day. Drain them, and let them remain in 
the sun two or three days until they become black. Put them 
into jars, not quite filling them. Boil the vinegar and spices 
together ten minutes, and pour the liquid over the walnuts. 
They will be fit for use in a month, and will keep for years. 

Pickled Green Tomatoes and Onions {Mrs. Monks). 

Chop one peck of green tomatoes, and half a peck of on- 
ions. Let them stand two days in layers of salt. Bring vine- 
gar (enough just to cover them) to the boiling-point. Put in 



260 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the vegetables, mixed with cloves (one ounce), allspice (one 
ounce), white mustard-seed (two ounces), and red peppers (five 
large ones shredded). When well scalded, they are ready to be 
put in jars. 

Pickled Onions. 
Select small silver-skinned onions. After taking off the out- 
side skins, remove with a knife one more skin, when each onion 
should look quite clear. Put them into strong brine for three 
days. Bring vinegar to a boil with one or two blades of mace 
and some whole red peppers. Pour it hot over the onions well 
drained from the brine. 

Pickled Bell Peppers. 
Cut a slit in the side of each pepper, and take out all the 
seeds. Let them soak in brine (strong enough to float an Qgg) 
two days. Then, washing them in cold water, put them into 
a stone jar. Pour over them vinegar boiled with cinnamon^ 
mace, and nutmeg. Whenever they are wanted to be served, 
stuff each one with a boiled tongue cut into dice, and mixed 
with a Mayonnaise dressing. Or little mangoes may be made, 
stuflSng each one with pickled nasturtiums, grapes, minced on- 
ions, red cabbage or cucumbers, seasoned with mustard - seed, 
root ginger, and mace. 

Ripe Cucumber Pickles. 
Pare and seed ripe cucumbers. Slice each cucumber length- 
wise into four pieces, or cut it into fancy shapes, as preferred. 
Let them stand twenty-four hours covered with cold vinegar. 
Drain them : then put them into fresh vinegar, with two pounds 
of sugar, and one ounce of cassia-buds to one quart of vinegar. 
Boil all together twenty minutes. Cover them closely in a jar. 

Sweet Pickled Peaches. 
To seven pounds of peaches allow three and three-quarter 
pounds of sugar, one <!]|uart of vinegar, two ounces of cloves, 
and two ounces of stick -cinnamon. Pare the peaches, and 
stick one or two cloves into each one. Boil the sugar and 
vinegar, with several sticks of cinnamon, for five minutes, then 



PRACTICAL CO OK ma, AND DINNER GIVING. 261 

put in the peaches. When cooked till thoroughly done, take 
Uiem out. Boil the sirup, reducing it to nearly half, and pour 
it over the peaches. 

Strawberry Pickle. 
Ingredients : Seven pounds of strawberries, three and a half 
pounds of brown sugar, one and a half pints of cider vinegar, 
one ounce of cloves, one ounce of stick - cinnamon. Place 
the strawberries and spices in alternate layers in a de'ep dish. 
Boil the sugar and vinegar three minutes, and pour it over them, 
letting them remain until the next day. The second day pour 
the liquor off and boil it again three minutes, returning it, as 
before, to the strawberries. Let them remain until the third 
day, when boil all together over a slow fire for half an hour. 
Put it away in jars. 

Tomato Catchup. 
Boil one bushel of tomatoes in a porcelain kettle until soft ; 
press them through a sieve ; then add half a gallon of vinegar, 
two ounces of cloves, one and a half pints of salt, one ounce 
of Cayenne pepper, five heads of garlic (skinned and chopped), 
two ounces of whole pepper, one pound of allspice, five ounces 
of mace, and five ounces of celery seed. Mix all together ; and 
boil until it is reduced to half. Strain, and bottle it. 

Tomato Catchup {Mrs. Cramer^ of Troy). 

Ingredients : One peck of tomatoes, two quarts of vinegar, 
five table - spoonfuls of mustard, five table - spoonfuls of salt, 
four table - spoonfuls of black pepper, two table - spoonfuls of 
cloves, three table - spoonfuls of allspice, and two tea-spoonfuls 
of red pepper. 

Let it boil an hour. Strain it through a sieve. 

Gooseberry Catchup {Mrs. Shaw). 

Ingredients : Three pounds of fruit, four pounds of sugar, 
one pint of vinegar, two ounces of cloves, and two ounces of 
cinnamon. 

Boil all four hours. Bottle it. 



362 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING, 

Cucumber Catchup. 
Grate the cucumbers, and strain off the water through a col- 
ander. Add six large onions (chopped very fine) to a gallon of 
the grated and strained cucumbers. Add vinegar, salt, Cayenne 
pepper, and horse-radish to taste. Bottle it without cooking. 



Jj[ x!i hi b ii . 



In England, and at almost every well-appointed table in 
America, cheese is a positive necessity to a good table. Bril- 
lat Savarin, in his " Physiologic du Gout," says, " Un beau 
diner sans vieux fromage est une jolie femme a qui il manque 
un oeil." 

Among the best cheeses of England are the Stilton and 
Cheshire ; of France, are those of Neufchatel, Brie [fromage 
de Brie), and the fromage de Roquefort. The fromage de 
Roquefort is, perhaps, one of the most popular of all cheeses. 
The Gruyere cheese of Switzerland is also a well-known cheese. 
It is made from new milk, and flavored with a powdered herb. 
In serving this cheese, French mustard, pepper, and salt are usu- 
ally passed at the same time. The Roquefort cheese is made of 
a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk : the first communicates 
consistence and quality ; the latter, whiteness and a peculiar 
flavor. The Parmesan (an Italian cheese) is made of skimmed 
milk. It is a high-flavored and hard cheese, and is not sent to 
market until it is six months old, and is often kept for three or 
four years. It is extensively used, grated, for cooking. The 
Stilton cheese is made by adding the cream of the preceding 
evening's milk to the morning's milking, producing a very rich 
and creamy quality. This cheese is preferred by epicures when 
it is old, after having been buried for some time in tin cans to 
become moldy. The Cheshire is made with rich new^ milk. This 
cheese can be appreciated without cultivating a taste for it. 

Our American cheeses, since the introduction of the factory 
system, are exported in immense quantities to England, where 



PE ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 263 

they are much sought for, and considered by epicures as great 
luxuries. This is generally astonishing to Americans abroad, 
who, at home, often consider it only in rule to ofEer guests 
cheese of foreign manufacture. I think, however, in compar- 
ison with our own, the celebrated foreign cheeses have one ad- 
vantage. The latter take the name of the exact locality where 
they are manufactured ; consequently, when people speak of a 
Stilton or of ^fromage de Brie they know exactly of what they 
are talking ; not so of American cheese. American cheese 
means that which may be superior, good, bad, or indifferent : 
it is too general a name. America has hundreds of cheese 
manufactories, and not a famous one ; although many of them 
make that which would do credit to America as the greatest 
cheese -making country in the world, if only these best speci- 
mens were more generally known. 

I have taken great pains in trying to decide which of many 
samples is the best American cheese, and have decided upon 
one made in Otsego County, New York, which is called the 
" English dairy " cheese. Before proceeding any further, I 
shall enter my protest against that name. Why do they not 
call it Otsego cheese ? If it were eaten in London, an English- 
man would certainly flatter himself that it was made in En- 
gland. If they will only change the name, then, I will take 
more pleasure in saying that the Otsego cheese is undoubtedly 
one of the best specimens of American cheeses. It has a dark- 
yellow color, is very rich, and highly flavored. 

The pastures of Otsego County are exceptionally fine, and its 
general advantages of climate, etc., render its locality one of 
the best adapted for the manufacture of cheese. 

One of the best specimens of cheese of a milder character, 
white and well - flavored, is made at Milan, Cayuga County, 
New York, the name of which might be Cayuga cheese. 

Perhaps the cheapest of the foreign famous cheeses is the 
Neufchatel. It comes in little rolls about an inch thick and 
three inches long, is enveloped in tin -foil, and costs about 
twenty cents a roll. Two rolls are quite sufficient for a large 
dinner. It is a delicious cheese. Care must be taken, how- 
ever, when purchasing, to ascertain that it is not musty. 



264 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

The tariff may be saved by purcliasing the Neufchatel manu- 
factured in New Jersey and Westchester County, New York. 
As for that, the Stilton made in Cayuga County can hardly be 
detected from the Leicestershire manufacture itself ; and, in 
fact, nearly all the famous cheeses are very perfectly imitated 
in America, so that those who choose may indulge in foreign 
names and encourage home manufacture at the same time. 

In serving Stilton cheese, the top should be cut off to form 
a cover, and then the cheese should be neatly surrounded with 
a napkin. Whenever the cheese is taken from the table, the 
cover should be replaced. 

Cheeses are generally cut into little squares and passed in a 
glass cheese-dish. No morsel of dried cheese should ever be 
thrown away, as it can be used grated for macaroni, cheese 
omelets, etc. 

Cheese should form a course at dinner. For further particu- 
lars concerning cheese as a course, see page 345. 

Welsh Rare-bit. 

Toast carefully thin square or diamond-shaped slices of bread, 
with the crust removed. While hot, butter them slightly ; then 
dip them for a moment in a pan containing enough hot water 
to half cover them; they should be only slightly moistened. 
Now place each slice on a separate hot plate, allowing one slice 
for each person at table ; sprinkle over a little salt, and pour 
over them enough melted cheese to cover them. Select rich, 
new cheese, as it is more easily melted. It can be melted in a 
little cup. It should not be made until almost ready to serve, 
as the moment it is finished it should be eaten ; otherwise the 
cheese will harden, the toast will become cold, and the dish al- 
together will be quite ruined. 

This is a favorite dish for gentlemen's suppers or for lunch ; 
yet it is sometimes served at dinner for a cheese course by it- 
self, or for decorating a platter of macaroni with cheese. 

This simple receipt is decidedly the best one, I think ; yet 
some spread also a little mustard over the toast, and others add 
a little ale to the melted cheese. Sometimes the toast may be 
dipped into ale instead of hot water, and some serve a poached 



rRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 365 

Qgg on each slice of Welsh rare-bit ; still others mix the yolks 
of eggs into the cheese when melted. 

The Welsh rare-bit makes a decidedly pretty course, served in 
little chafing-dishes in silver, or plated silver, about four inches 
square, one of which, standing in a plate, is to be served to 
each person at table. The reservoir contains boiling-hot water ; 
the little platter holds the slice of Welsh rare-bit, which is thus 
kept hot. 

Cottage Cheese. 

Place a pan of clabbered sour milk over the fire, and let it 
become well scalded ; then, pouring it into a clean cloth, squeeze 
out all the water, leaving the clabber quite dry. Put this into 
a kitchen basin, and work it with the hands, making it a little 
moist by adding cream. Add also a little butter and plenty of 
salt ; mold it into little balls. 

Ramekins {Ramequins a la JJde^ Cook to Louis XVI.). 

Ingredients : Four ounces of grated high-flavored cheese, two 
ounces of butter, two ounces of bread (without crust), a scant 
gill of milk, one-third of a tea-spoonful of mustard, one-third 
of a tea-spoonful of salt, small pinch of Cayenne pepper, yolks 
of two eggs, whites of three. 

Crumb the bread, and boil it soft in the milk ; add the but- 
ter, mustard, salt, pepper, cheese, and the yolks of the eggs ; 
beat thoroughly ; then stir in the whites of the eggs, beaten to 
a stiff froth. Pour this into little round paper cases (see page 
61), which require only a few minutes to make; fill each one 
about three-quarters full ; bake the paste about five or six min- 
utes, when it should be puffed high above the edge of the pa- 
per. Serve the ramekins immediately, or they will fall. A 
good cheese course for dinner, and nice for lunch or supper. 

Ramekins, with Ale (Warne). 
Ingredients : Four ounces of cheese, two ounces of fresh but- 
ter, half a French roll, two eggs, half a cupful of cream, half a 
wine-glassful of good ale. 

Boil the roll and cream together until quite smooth ; rub the 
grated cheese and the butter smoothly together ; then mix all, 

12 



266 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

adding the ale and the yolks of the eggs well beaten. When 
the paste is smooth, stir in the whites of the eggs beaten to a 
stiff froth ; put the mixture into paper cases ; bake about fif- 
teen minutes, and serve very hot.* 

Pastry Ramekins {Warne). 
Ingredients : Some good cheese, puff paste, the yolk of one 

egg. 

Take some puff paste, and roll it out rather thin ; strew over 
it some good grated cheese, and fold it over ; repeat this three 
times, rolling it out each time ; then cut the ramekins with a 
paste-cutter in any form you please, brush them over with the 
yolk of a well-beaten Qgg, and bake them in a quick oven for 
about fifteen minutes. When done, serve them quickly on a 
hot napkin. 

SWEET SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS. 

Butter Sauce {Mrs. Youmans). 

Ingredients : Three-quarters of a cupful of butter, one and a 
half cupfuls of powdered sugar, four table-spoonfuls of boiling- 
hot starch, made of flour or corn starch, with either brandy, 
maraschino, wine, lemon-juice and zest, vanilla, or other flavor- 
ing preferred. Stir the butter with a fork to a light cream ; 
add the sugar, and continue to beat it for one or two minutes. 
Just before serving, stir in with an egg-whisk the boiling starch 
and the flavoring. 

Sirup Sauces. 

Boil two cupfuls of sugar with two or three table-spoonfuls 
of water, until it thickens slightly ; take it from the fire ; stir 
in a piece of butter the size of a hickory-nut, and either lemon- 
juice, fruit-juice, or, in winter, fruit sirups, wine, brandy, or any 
of the flavoring extracts. 

A Plain and Cheap Sauce. 
Ingredients : Three and a half cupfuls of water, one cupful 

* Five or six minutes will suffice for baking them. — Ed. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 267 

of sugar, a small piece of butter, a table-spoonful of either corn 
starch or flour, flavoring of either brandy, vanilla, lemon, or wine 
(with or without a little nutmeg), or zest and cinnamon. 

When the water boils, stir in the corn starch or flour (rubbed 
smooth with a little cold water), sugar, and, if used, the yellow 
rind of a lemon and the cinnamon, and cook well for two or 
three minutes ; take the pan from the fire, and stir in the but- 
ter and flavoring (if the lemon and cinnamon are not used). 

Same Sauce, Richer {Mrs. Osborne). 

Ingredients : One pint of water, three table-spoonfuls of flour 
or corn starch, half a cupful of butter, two cupfuls of sugar, 
two eggs, half of a nutmeg, half a pint of Madeira or sherry. 

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream ; add the eggs well 
beaten, then the nutmeg ; heat the wine as hot as possible with- 
out boiling ; bring the water to a boil in another vessel, and stir 
in the corn starch or flour (rubbed smooth with a little cold wa- 
ter), and cook it well for about two minutes. Mix well the in- 
gredients off the fire. 

Whipped-cream Sauce [Mrs. Emhry., Kentucky). 
Mix a plateful of whipped cream (flavored with wine or va- 
nilla), the beaten whites of two or three eggs, and pulverized 
sugar to taste, all together. Pile a bank of this mixture in the 
centre of a platter, and form a circle of little fruit puddings 
or Swedish puddings (steamed in cups or little molds), blanc- 
mangee, corn-starch puddings, etc., around it ; or place a large 
pudding in the centre, with a circle of the sauce around. 

Fruit Sauces. 

The French bottled apricots, greengage plums, or strawber- 
ries make delicious sauces for a Bavarian cream, hlanc-mange, 
ckarlotte-russe, or corn-starch pudding. They may simply be 
poured around the pudding on a platter, or the juice may be 
thickened by boiling it with a very little corn-starch, then add- 
ing the fruit to it when cold. 

The American canned May-duke cherries (Shrivers) make a 
good pudding sauce. Boil the juice, and add the slight corn- 



2G8 PBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

starch thickeninof and a little sugar ; when cold, add the cher- 
ries. It makes a good sauce poured around these puddings. 

Fresh red cherries, stewed, sweetened, passed through a sieve, 
and slightly thickened with corn starch, make another pudding 
sauce. The Colorado wild raspberries make a fine berry pud- 
ding, with the same kind of berry sauce around it. Marma- 
lades and preserves, if not too stiff, make pretty garnishes as 
well as good sauces. 

Strawberry Sauce {for Baked Puddings). 

Ingredients : Half a cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, the 
beaten white of an Qgg, and one cupful of strawberries (mashed). 

Rub butter and sugar to a cream ; add the beaten white of 
the egg^ and the strawberries thoroughly mashed. 

Boiled Custard 
makes a good sauce. If served with plum-pudding, flavor it 
with brandy; if served with rice -pudding (in mold) or corn 
starch or other puddings, flavor it with lemon, vanilla, choco- 
late, or coffee, etc., etc. 

A Good Sauce for Puddings {Miss Amelia Foote). 

Ingredients : Half a cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, 
white of one Qgg, two table-spoonfuls of wine, a little vanilla, 
and half a wine-glassful of boiling water. 

Beat the butter and sugar for about fifteen minutes; then 
add the flavoring. Just before sending to the table, add the 
Qgg, beaten to a froth, and stir in the boiling water, beating it 
to a foam ; or it may be flavored with brandy or wine, without 
the vanilla. 

Sabyllon. 

This is a French pudding sauce, and an exceedingly good 
one. It is so rich that one or two table-spoonfuls poured over 
a fruit, batter, bread, or almost any kind of pudding, are suflS- 
cient. The amount of sauce in the receipt is, therefore, enough 
for six or seven persons. 

Put two yolks and one whole egg^ also a scant half tea-cupful 
of sugar, into a little stew-pan ; beat them well for a few min- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 269 

iites. Then put the saucepan into another, containing boiling wa- 
ter, over the fire ; beat the eggs briskly with the egg-whisk while 
you gradually pour in a scant half tea-cupful of sherry ; when 
the sherry is all in, the Qgg will begin to thicken ; then take it 
from the fire, and add the juice of a quarter of a small lemon. 

Caramel Sauce {New York Cooking-school). 
Dissolve six ounces of cut loaf-sugar in half a pint of boiling 
water; add a stick of cinnamon, a little lemon -zest, and two 
cloves, and boil it ten minutes. Next put two ounces of loaf- 
sugar, dissolved in a table - spoonful of boiling water, on a 
moderate fire, and stir it until it assumes a light-brown color; 
pour the other boiled sugar over this ; give it one boil, remove 
it from the fire, and add two or three table-spoonfuls of sherry. 



PUDDINGS AND CUSTARDS. 
Plum-pudding, with Rum or Brandy {Gouffe), 
Take three-quarters of a pound of chopped suet, three-quar- 
ters of a pound of stoned raisins, three-quarters of a pound of 
currants, quarter of a pound of citron, three-quarters of a pound 
of sugar, three-quarters of a pound of bread-crumbs, two apples 
cut into small dice, and the grated peel of a lemon ; mix the 
whole in a basin, with 
three pounded cloves, a 
pinch of salt, six eggs, 
and half a gill of rum 
or brandy. Butter a 
pudding - mold, fill it 
with the mixture, and 
tie a cloth over the top. 
Place a plate at the bottom of a kettle which is three-parts full 
of boiling water. Put the pudding in, and boil for four hours, 
keeping the pot replenished with boiling water. Turn out the 
pudding on a hot dish; sprinkle over it sugar. Pour over 
half a pint of warm rum or brandy, and light it when putting 
the pudding on the table. 




270 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

German Sauce. — Made with eight yolks of eggs, quarter of 
a pound of sugar, three gills of Madeira, and the grated peel of 
half a lemon. Stir it over the fire until the spoon is coated. 
Serve in a boat. Or serve a common brandy sauce, or the same 
kind of sauce flavored with rum, if rum should be used in the 
pudding. 

Plum-pudding {Mrs. General Sherman). 

Ingredients : One cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, half 
a cupful of cream, half a cupful of rum, one cupful of ale, one 
cupful of suet (chopped), one cupful of fruit (currants and 
raisins), half a cupful of candied orange cut fine, six eggs well 
beaten, two grated nutmegs, one tea-spoonful of ground cinna- 
mon, half a tea-spoonful of ground cloves, bread-crumbs. 

Beat the butter and sugar together to a cream. The bread- 
crumbs should be dried thoroughly, and passed through a sieve. 
Beat all well together before adding the bread-crumbs, then add 
enough of them to give proper consistency. Put the pudding 
into a tin mold (not quite filling it), and boil it four hours. 

The Sauce. — Use equal quantities of butter and sugar. 
Cream the butter, then add the sugar, beating them both until 
very light. Add then the beaten yolk of an egg, and a little 
grated nutmeg. Heat on the fire a large wine-glassful of sherry 
wine diluted with the same quantity of water, and when just 
beginning to boil, stir it into the butter and sugar. 

Pudding with Remains of Plum-pudding. 
Line a charlotte mold or basin with slices of cold plum-pud- 
ding, cut so that they will fit closely together. Fill the inside 
with a sufficient quantity of gelatine pudding (see page 272). 
Set it in a cool place to stiffen. Turn out the charlotte on a 
dish, with a brandy sauce on the bottom. 

Plainer Fruit Pudding. 
Ingredients : One cupful of sugar, one - quarter of a pound 
of raisins, one cupful of butter, one half-pound of English cur- 
rants, three and a half cupfuls of flour, a little citron sliced, four 
eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately. Put one tea- 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 271 

spoonful of saleratus with one half-cupful of cream. Flour the 
raisins, currants, and citron before adding to the mixture. 

Boil it three hours in a floured cloth, or in buttered forms, 
large or small. Pour some brandy on top, and set it on fire just 
before taking to the dining-room. Serve with brandy-sauce. 

Suet-pudding {Mq's. Gratz Brown). 

Ingredients : One cupful of suet chopped fine, one cupful of 
molasses, one cupful of sweet milk, one cupful of raisins, one 
tea-spoonful of salt, one small tea-spoonful of soda mixed in 
the molasses, three and a half cupfuls of flour. 

Boil in a bag or form three hours ; or, better, steam it. It 
may be steamed in tea-cups, filling them a little more than half 
full. Serve with brandy-sauce. 

Prune-pudding (Grace Greenwood). 
This is the same as the suet - pudding, excepting that one 
half-pound of prunes and one half-pound of English currants 
are substituted for the raisins. 

Eve's Pudding (Mrs. Frank Blair). 

Ingredients : Six ounces of bread-crumbs, six ounces of sugar, 
six ounces of raisins or currants, six ounces of butter cut in 
small pieces, or beef suet chopped fine, six large apples chopped, 
one table-spoonful of flour, six eggs, one table-spoonful of cin- 
namon, one tea-spoonful of ground cloves. 

Flour the fruit. Mix eggs and sugar together, and the suet 
and apples ; then mix all, adding the beaten whites of the eggs 
the last thing. Boil it in a form or bag three hours, or bake 
it two hours. Serve with brandy-sauce. 

A Spiced Apple-pudding. 
Ingredients : Three tea - cupfuls of bread - crumbs, three tea- 
cupfuls of apples chopped, one tea-cupful of sugar, one-quarter 
of a pound of raisins, perhaps a little citron, two table-spoonfuls 
of brandy, one table-spoonful of ground cinnamon, half a tea- 
spoonful of ground cloves, one tea -spoonful of mace, two or 
three eggs beaten separately. 



272 PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Cook the bread-crumbs a few minutes with a pint of milk 
before adding the other ingredients; add the whites of the 
eggs the last thing before baking. Bake half an hour, if the 
oven is quite hot. Serve with any sweet sauce. 

Cottage-pudding. 
Ingredients : One cupful of sugar, one and one-half cupf uls of 
flour, one table-spoonful of butter, one half-cupful of milk, two 
eggs beaten separately, one tea -spoonful of baking-powder, or 
one half-tea-spoonful of soda, and one tea-spoonful of cream of 
tartar. Brandy or wine sauce. 

Minute-pudding. 

Ingredients : One quart of milk, salt, two eggs, about a pint 
of flour. 

Beat the eggs well ; add the flour and enough milk to make 
it smooth. Butter the saucepan, and put in the remainder of 
the milk well salted ; when it boils, stir in the flour, eggs, etc., 
lightly ; let it cook well. It should be of the consistency of 
thick corn mush. Serve immediately with the following sim- 
ple sauce, viz., milk sweetened to taste, and flavored with grated 
nutmeg. 

Nantucket Berry-pudding. 

Ingredients : One pint of grated cold boiled potatoes, one 
pint of flour, one quarter of a pound of butter, one tea-spoon- 
ful of salt, and almost any kind of berries. 

Wet these with milk or water to the consistency of soft bis- 
cuit-dough ; roll it ; spread with blackberries, raspberries, cher- 
ries, or stewed dry berries. Roll, fasten in a cloth, and steam it 
an hour and a quarter. Serve with any sweet pudding-sauce. 

V Gelatine-pudding (Miss Colby, of Rochester). 
Separate the whites and yolks of four eggs. With the yolks 
make a boiled custard (with a pint of milk, and sugar to taste). 
Set a third of a box of gelatine to soak a few minutes in a 
little cold water, then dissolve it with three -fourths of a cup- 
ful of boiling water. When the custard has cooled, add the 
gelatine water and the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 273 



froth ; flavor with vanilla, stir all together, and put it into a 
mold or molds. It will settle into three layers, and is a very 
pretty pudding, tasting much like a charlotte-russe. A pretty 
effect can be obtained by using Coxe's pink gelatine. 

Tapioca-pudding. 
Pare and core (with a tube) six or seven apples ; lay them in 
a buttered dish. Pour over a cupful of tapioca or sago one 
quart of boiling water; let it stand an hour; add two tea- 
cupf uls of sugar, a little lemon, vanilla, or wine ; pour this over 
the apples, and bake an hour. Peaches (fresh or canned) may 
be substituted, and are an improvement. 

Tapioca Cream. 
Soak a tea-cupful of tapioca overnight in milk. The next 
day, stir into it the yolks of three eggs well beaten and a cup- 
ful of sugar. Place a quart of milk on the fire, let it come to 
the boiling-point, and then stir in the tapioca, and let the whole 
cook until it has thickened ; then take it off the fire, and stir 
in the whites of the eggs beaten to a froth. Flavor to taste. A 
small portion of the beaten whites of the eggs can be saved to 
decorate the top. Stir into the latter a little sugar, put it into 
a paper funnel, press it out over the top of the pudding accord- 
ing to fancy, and place it in the oven a few moments to color. 

Cabinet-pudding (Mrs. Pope). 
Butter a mold well ; line the bottom with raisins and with 
citron cut into fancy shapes ; cover this with pieces of cake, 
then more raisins and citron, alternating with the cake, until 
the mold is full to 
within an inch and a 
half of the top. Mix 
in a bowl three ta- 
ble-spoonfuls of sugar 
and the yolks of three 
eggs until they are a cream ; then mix in slowly a pint of milk 
just brought to the boiling-point. Pour this over the cake, 
etc., in the mold. Put this into a pan of cold water, so that 

12* 




'374 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the water may cover one-third of the mold. Set it over the 
fire until the water boils ; then put the whole into the oven to 
bake an hour. Serve with wine-sauce. 

Batter-puddings Baked. 

Ingredients : One quart of sifted flour, butter the size of an 
Qgg, one pint of milk, half a tea-spoonful of salt, four eggs. 

Scald the milk, and melt the butter in it. When partly 
cooled, stir in the yolks of the eggs well beaten, then the salt 
and flour. When quite cold, stir in lightly the whites of the 
eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Bake in rather large patty -pans. 
Serve immediately with a sauce. The puddings should be light 
puffs. Strawberry-sauce is especially nice with these puddings. 

Roly-poly Pudding Boiled. 

Make a biscuit -dough and roll it out into a square about a 
fourth of an inch thick. Spread over it (leaving an inch un- 
covered at the edges) almost any kind of fruit, or berries, such 
as strawberries, raspberries, etc., sweetened, or preserves. Roll 
it tight. Sew it in a cloth, giving room for it to swell. Boil 
or steam it an hour. Serve with almost any kind of pudding 
sauce. A nice roly-poly pudding may be made with sponge- 
cake baked in sheets, spread with preserves or jelly, rolled, 
sprinkled on top with sugar, and served with wine-sauce. 

Baked Berry Rolls. 
Roll biscuit- dough thin, in the form of a large square, or 
into small squares. Spread over with berries. Roll the crust, 
and put the rolls into a dripping-pan close together until full ; 
then put into the pan water, sugar, and pieces of butter. Bake 
them. Serve any of the pudding sauces. 

Swedish Pudding. 

Ingredients : One half-pound of flour, one half-pound of but- 
ter, half-pound of sugar, eight eggs, a little salt. 

Rub the sugar and butter to a cream ; add the yolks well 
beaten, the salt, flour, and, lastly, the whites of the eggs beaten 
to a stiff froth. Put the batter three-fourths of an inch deep 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 275 

into tea-cups. Cook by steaming tliem in a steamer about half 
an hour. The batter will fill the cups. Turn them out on a 
hot platter. Serve immediately with a clear brandy - sauce in 
the bottom of the dish. Half the above amount will be suffi- 
cient for a small family. 

CherrV-pudding {Mrs. Bonner). 

Ingredients : Two eggs, one cupful of sweet milk, three tea- 
spoonfuls of yeast powder, flour to make a stiff batter, as many 
cherries or fruit of any kind as can be stirred in. 

Boil or steam it two hours. Serve with fruit sauce, made as 
in receipt for "fruit sauces" of the same kind of fruit of which 
the pudding is made. 

A Corn-starch Pudding. 

Many kinds of puddings can be made with this receipt by 
adding different flavorings. I consider it a great success ; be- 
sides, it is very easily and quickly made. It may or may not be 
served with a boiled custard made with the yolks of the eggs. 

Ingredients : One pint of rich milk, two table - spoonfuls of 
corn starch, a scant half-cupful of sugar, whites of three or four 
eggs, a little salt, flavoring. 

Beat the eggs to a stiff froth. Dissolve the corn starch in 
a little of the milk. Stir the sugar into the remainder of the 
milk, which place on the fire. When it begins to boil, add the 
dissolved corn starch. Stir constantly for a few moments, when 
it will become a smooth paste ; now stir in the beaten whites 
of the eggs, and let it remain a little longer to cook the eggs. 
It can be flavored with vanilla, and put into a form ; yet it is 
still better as a 

Cocoa-nut Pudding. 

When the preceding pudding is just finished, add half a 
cocoa-nut grated; put it into a mold. Serve with whipped- 
cream around it, or a sauce of boiled custard made with the 
yolks of the eggs. As only half of a cocoa-nut is used for this 
pudding, sprinkle sugar on the other half, and spread it on 
something, when it will keep a month. In that time perhaps 
another pudding of the same kind may be wanted. Fresh cocoa- 




276 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

nut is better and cheaper than the desiccated cocoa-nut. It re- 
quires the whole of a twenty-five cent package of the desiccated 
cocoa-nut, and only half of a fresh one, which costs but ten 
cents. 

Chocolate-pudding. 
With still the same receipt for a corn-starch pudding, first 
flavor the whole with vanilla ; now tak'e out a third of the 
pudding ; flavor the remainder in the kettle with a bar of choc- 
olate, softened, mashed, and dissolved with a little milk. Put 
half of the chocolate-pudding in the bottom of a mold (which 
has been wet in cold water) ; smooth the top ; next make a lay- 
er with the white pudding (the third taken out) ; smooth it 

also ; next the remain- 
der of the chocolate- 
pudding. Serve with 
whipped cream, or a 
boiled custard made 
with the yolks of the 
eggs and flavored with vanilla, around it ; or, the one-third por- 
tion of pudding may be flavored with half a bar of chocolate, 
and placed in the centre of the two layers of white, as in the 
picture ; or one can use the same receipt for a corn-starch pud- 
ding, and flavor it with chopped pine-apple, strawberries, or, in 
winter, with dried cherries swollen in water ; or it may be fla- 
vored with chocolate, with the white centre part of cocoa-nut. 

CocoA-NUT Puddings, in Paper Cases. 
Melt over the fire butter the size of an egg^ with a cupful of 
sugar, and a table-spoonful of water. Pour them into a dish 
when they have boiled a couple of minutes, and let them cool ; 
mix with them half of a cocoa-nut grated, a table-spoonful of 
small cuts of citron, the grated rind and juice of half a lemon, 
and the yolks of four eggs beaten separately; add the whites 
(beaten to a stifE froth) the last thing. Fill little paper cases 
(see page 6), and bake immediately. They may be served hot 
or cold. Of course it may all be baked in one dish ; but it 
makes a very dainty course to serve one of these cases placed 
on a plate for each person. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 277 



Egg Souffle, in Paper Cases. 
Make a boiled custard of cream with half a pint of milk, 
yolks of two eggs, three table-spoonfuls of sugar, a heaping tea- 
spoonful of flour, a very little butter, salt, and a flavoring of va- 
nilla, or any thing else, as preferred. When it has just thick- 
ened a little, take it off the fire, and let it partly cool. Add 
then two raw yolks of eggs and four whites beaten to a stiff 
froth. Butter the paper cases, fill them with this preparation, 
and bake them ten or fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. 

Snow-pudding {Miss Amelia Foote). 
Cover one-third of a package of gelatine with a little cold 
water, and, when softened, stir into it a pint of boiling water ; 
add one cupful of sugar, or sugar to taste, and either the juice 
of two lemons, or half a tea-cupful of wine : when cold, and 
beginning to thicken, add the well-beaten whites of three eggs. 
Beat all lightly and smoothly together, pour the mixture into a 
mold, and set it away until hard. Serve in the centre of a plat- 
ter, with a boiled custard poured around, made with the yolks 
of three eggs, one pint of milk, and half a cupful of sugar. 

Boiled Custard (No. 1). 

I will venture a receipt for boiled custard (perhaps it should 
be granted that every one knows how to make it), as it is so 
often used in making many kinds of dessert, and as an excel- 
lent sauce for several puddings. 

It is considered better made of the yolks only of the eggs 
(some whites may be used, however). A dessert - spoonful of 
sugar is enough for each egg, and five yolks are quite sufl[i- 
cient for a quart of milk. Beat the yolks and the sugar to- 
gether to a froth, and stir in the milk ; put it into a custard- 
boiler, or, if one has none, into a small tin pail. Place this 
in a kettle of boiling water ; stir the mixture constantly until 
it is a little thickened. If it is well stirred, the custard will 
be a smooth cream ; if allowed to remain a few moments too 
long in the boiling water after it begins to thicken, it will 
curdle and be spoiled. Do not flavor it with any of the 



278 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

essences, jvines, or brandy, until after it is cooked ; if either 
a vanilla -bean or peach -leaves are used, cook them with the 
custard. 

If the whole eggs are preferred, for economy's sake, to be 
used (and they make very good custard), allow four eggs to a 
quart of milk, and four dessert-spoonfuls of sugar. If the milk 
is first boiled before it is added to the other ingredients, there 
will be less danger of the custard curdling. 

Boiled Custard {Miss Eliza Brown), No. 2. 
Beat the yolks of three eggs very lightly ; stir into them two 
small table-spoonfuls of corn starch, dissolved in a little milk, 
and one. tea-cupful of sugar. Bring two quart% of milk to a 
boil, then take it off the fire ; pour it into the eggs, etc., a little 
at first ; return it to the fire, and stir it until it thickens, not al- 
lowing it to boil ; let it remain long enough to well cook the 
starch. Now stir in lightly the whites of four eggs beaten to 
a stiff froth, allowing the custard to remain a half-minute on 
the fire to set the eggs. Flavor with vanilla or chocolate, or 
with both. 

Aphle Meringue {Mrs. Shaw). 

Boil tart apples after they are pared and cored; rub the 
pulp through a colander, and sweeten it to taste. To a pint of 
the soft pulp stir in lightly the whites of three eggs, beaten 
to a stiff froth. Flavor with grated rind and juice of lemon, 
or with lemon or vanilla extract. Serve it with cream. It is 
a decided improvement to put this into a pudding-dish and cov- 
er it with the beaten whites of two or three eggs, sweetened and 
flavored. Color it in the oven. Serve with cream or custard. 

Baked Apples. 
Pare and core large, juicy pippins, without cutting them to 
pieces ; fill the cavities with sugar, and a little lemon-juice or 
extract, and some thin slices of the yellow part of the lemon- 
rind ; put them into a pan with a little water in the bottom ; 
sprinkle sugar over the tops, baste them often, and, when done, 
set them away to cool. Serve them with cream, or they may 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 279 

: . ^ 

be served with whipped cream, flavored with sugar and essence 
of lemon, poured over so as to nearly conceal them ; or serve 
them with a boiled custard poured over them. 

Friar's Omelet {Mrs. Treat). 
Stew six or seven good-sized apples as for apple-sauce ; stir 
in, when cooked and still warm, butter the size of a pigeon's 
egg^ and one cupful of sugar; when cold, stir in three well- 
beaten eggs and a little lemon -juice. Now put a small piece 
of butter into a saute pan, and when hot throw in a cupful of 
bread-crumbs ; stir them over the fire until they assume a light- 
brown color. Butter a mold, and sprinkle on the bottom and 
sides as many ^f these bread-crumbs as will adhere ; fiU in the 
apple preparation, sprinkle bread-crumbs on top, bake it for fif- 
teen or twenty minutes, and turn it out on a good-sized platter. 
It can be eaten with or without a sweet sauce. 

Floating Islands. 
Separate the whites and yolks of four eggs ; with the yolks 
make a boiled custard with, say, a large pint of milk, four ta- 
ble-spoonfuls of sugar, and a flavoring of vanilla, essence of 
lemon, sherry- wine, peach-leaves, or any of the usual flavorings. 
Beat the whites to a stiff froth, sweetening and flavoring them 
a little also. Wet a long spoon, turn it around in the beaten 
Qgg, taking out a piece of oblong shape ; poach it, turning it 
around in boiling water, or milk, which is better. When the 
custaid is cold, pour it into a glass dish, and place these 
poached whites on top ; or make a circle of the whites in a 
platter, and pour the custard between. 

Tipsy-pudding. 
Soak a sponge-cake baked in a form (or, in fact, dry pieces 
of cake of any kind can be used) in sherry-wine. When satu- 
rated enough, so that it will not fall to pieces, pour over it a 
boiled custard (No. 1), flavored with any thing preferred. If 
placed in a glass dish, decorate with the beaten whites of the 
eggs poached, and with dots of jelly. If served in a common 
platter, squeeze the beaten whites (sweetened and flavored) 



280 rEACTICAL COOEINO, AND DINNER GIVING. 

through a funnel in any fancy shapes over the pudding, and 
put it into the oven to receive a delicate color. 

Lemon-pudding. 
Beat the yolks of two eggs in a pudding-dish ; add two cup- 
fuls of sugar. Dissolve four table-spoonfuls of corn starch in 
a little cold water. Stir into it two tea-cupfuls of boiling wa- 
ter. Put in the juice of two lemons, with some of the grated 
peel. Mix all together with a tea-spoonful of butter. Bake it 
about fifteen minutes. When done, spread over the top the 
beaten whites of the eggs sweetened, and let it color a moment 
in the oven. To be eaten hot or cold. 

Blanc-mange. 
Put half a paper of gelatine, two ounces of sugar, half of the 
very thin rind of a lemon, and eight bitter almonds, blanched 
and bruised, into a pint of milk, and let it stand an hour. Place 
it over the fire, and let it come merely to the scalding-point, 
stirring it well to dissolve the gelatine. 

Strain it into a bowl, add a pint of cream, and a little wine 
or brandy, to taste. Stir it occasionally, to prevent the cream 

from settling on the 
surface. Turn it, 
avoiding the settlings, 
into molds, to hard- 
en ; or, in place of al- 
monds, a stick of cin- 
namon may be substituted ; or infuse a few more almonds, and 
omit the wine or brandy ; or, the blanc-mange may be flavored 
with maraschino, or any other liqueur. I prefer blanc-mange 
made with corn starch, as the same ingredients necessary for a 
blanc-mange proper are better made into Bavarian creams. 

Corn-starch Pudding. 

Ingredients : One and one-half pints of rich milk, one large 
heaping table-spoonful of corn starch, one scant cupful of sugar, 
four eggs, omitting two whites, a little salt, and flavoring. 

Bring the milk and the sugar almost to a boil, then add the 




rHACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 281 

com starcli (stirred smooth with a little milk), and a pinch of 
salt. Stir it at the back of the range for five minutes, not al- 
lowing it to boil. Then take it off the fire; when a little 
cooled, stir in the eggs, and when well and smoothly mixed, 
place the kettle again on the fire for only a few moments, to 
be sure that the eggs are slightly cooked. Now stir in the 
flavoring, if it is an extract. Zest (sugar rubbed on fresh lem- 
on-peel) is an exceedingly delicate flavoring. The vanilla pow- 
der boiled in the milk is better than the extract. 

It makes a pretty dish to pour this into cups or little molds, 
and, when cold and solid, to arrange them in a circle or, accord- 
ing to taste, on a platter, with strawberry, grape, or any kind 
of fruit sauce, or whipped cream poured into the bottom of 
the dish ; or, mold it in a circular form, and pile up any kind 
of berries in the centre, with or without whipped cream. 
For an invalid I prefer the other receipt for "a corn -starch 
pudding." 

The common rule for corn-starch pudding is one quart of 
milk, three eggs, three table-spoonfuls of corn starch, one even 
cupful of sugar ; add flavoring and a little salt. 

Bread-pudding. 
Soak some crumbled bread in milk. Put a layer of this 
(rather moist) in the bottom of a pudding - dish ; sprinkle 
over some raisins and a little cinnamon powder, then another 
layer of soaked bread-crumbs, raisins, and cinnamon powder. 
Now beat up three eggs (to about a quart of soaked bread- 
crumbs) with two heaping table-spoonfuls of sugar; mix into 
it a quarter of a cupful of rum, brandy, or wine, and pour 
it all over the pudding in the dish. Bake about twenty 
minutes. 

Bread-and-butter Pudding. 

Strew layers of English currants between slices of buttered 
bread (crust cut off). Pour over them a boiled custard flavored 
with nutmeg or any other flavoring desired. Set them into the 
oven to soak, and bake about fifteen minutes. 



282 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Fried Bread-pudding. 

Cut the crust from slices of bread. Cut them into pieces of 
the same shape and size. Soak them a few moments in cus- 
tard — i. e., some milk, one or two eggs, and sugar to taste, and 
a flavoring of cinnamon. Saute them in hot lard to a delicate 
brown. Serve with brandy-sauce, or almost any kind of sweet 
sauce. 

Indian-corn Pudding. 

Scald a quart of milk, and stir in seven table-spoonfuls of 
sifted corn-meal, a tea-spoonful of salt, one tea-cupful of mo- 
lasses, a table-spoonful of ginger. Bake three hours. 



BAVARIAN CREAMS. 

There is not a more delicious dessert than that of Bavarian 
cream. These creams are exceedingly easy to make, and, as 
they are prepared some time before dinner, they have the ad- 
vantage of being out of the way when cooking this meal. They 
are a cheap country dessert, where one has plenty of cream, yet 
are not so very expensive in the city, as it only requires a pint 
of common cream to make a quart and a half of Bavarian cream. 

When cream is thoroughly chilled, it is much more readily 
whipped. A pint can be whipped in a few minutes with a lit- 
tle tin tube cream-whipper. If no whipper is at hand, beat the 
cream with a fork, and skim off the whipped cream as it rises. 
It is always better not to cook gelatine ; it should be soaked in a 
little water near the fire for an hour or two, when it will be en- 
tirely dissolved, and then it should be stirred into the custard 
while it is still hot. In making the Bavarian creams, do not 
add the whipped cream to the ingredients with the gelatine 
until they are quite cold and are beginning to set, or they would 
otherwise dissolve the cream. The ingredients will set very 
soon if placed on ice. The pine-apple Bavarian is especially 
nice, and can be made with the canned pine-apple if the fresh 
pine-apple can not be obtained; however, there is not much 
choice, as they are all delicious. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 283 

The Bavarian creams all make good charlottes -russe, the 
peach Bavarian making an especially delicious one. Sometimes 
these mixtures are frozen, and put into charlotte molds; the 
cake is formed in molds a trifle larger. When the cream is 
frozen, it is inserted into the cake just before serving. When 
freezing the mixture, the whipped cream is not added until 
the custard or ingredients with the gelatine are partly frozen. 

Bavarian Cream, with Vanilla {Mrs. Blair). 
Whip one pint of cream to a stiff froth, laying it on a sieve. 
Boil another pint of cream or rich milk, with a vanilla bean, 
and two table-spoonfuls of sugar, until it is well flavored ; then 
take it off the fire and add half a box of Nelson's or Coxe's gel- 
atine soaked for an hour in half a cupful of water, in a warm 
place near the range; when slightly cooled, stir in the yolks 
of four eggs well beaten. When it has become quite cold, and 
begins to thicken, stir it without ceasing a few minutes until it 
is very smooth, then stir in the whipped cream lightly until it 
is well mixed. Pat it into a mold or molds, and set it on ice, 
or in some cool place. 

Bavarian Cream, with Chocolate, 
is made as the preceding cream, adding two sticks of chocolate, 
soaked and smoothed, to the yolks of the eggs. 

Bavarian Cream, with Strawberries. 

After picking two pounds and a half of strawberries, squeeze 
them through a colander, and add six ounces of sugar to the 
juice ; when the sugar is dissolved, add half a box of gelatine 
soaked as before described. Place it on the ice, stir it smooth 
when it begins to set, then stir in a pint of cream whipped ; 
put it into a mold or molds, and serve with fresh strawberries 
around it. 

Bavarian Cream, with Almonds. 

Take three ounces of sweet and one ounce of bitter almonds, 
blanch and skin them, and put them into a pan on a moderate 
fire, stirring them continually. As soon as they have acquired 
a fine yellow color, take them off the fire, and when cold pound 




384 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

them into fine pieces. Then add a pint of cream or rich milk 
(nearly boiling), and two or three table-spoonfuls of sugar, and 
half a package of gelatine, which has been soaked as before de- 
scribed. Put it upon the ice, and when about to thicken stir 
it until it is very smooth, then stir in lightly a pint of cream 
whipped, and put it into a mold. 

Bavarian Cream, with Peaches. 
Cut eighteen fine peaches into small pieces, and boil them 
with half a pound of sugar. When they are reduced to a mar- 
malade, squeeze them through a sieve or colander. Then add 

half a package of dis- 
solved gelatine, and 

(ttiii^^^^^^^^^^^.^^^M^ gl^^sful of good 

cream. Stir it well, 
to make it smooth 
when it is about to 
set, then add the pint of cream whipped, and mold it. It 
makes a still prettier dish to serve halves or quarters of fresh 
peaches half frozen, around the cream. 

Bavarian Cream, with Pine-apple. 
Cut a pine-apple into fine pieces ; boil it with one half-pound, 
or a coffee-cupful of sugar ; pass the marmalade through a sieve 
or colander ; turn off part of the juice ; add half a package of 
dissolved gelatine. Stir, and add the pint of cream whipped, 
as before described. Mold it. 

Bavarian Cream, with Coffee. 
Throw three heaping table - spoonfuls of fresh roasted and 
ground Mocha coffee into a pint of boiling rich milk. Make 
a strong infusion, strain it, and add to it the whipped yolks of 
four eggs well beaten, with an even cupful of sugar. Stir the 
custard over the fire until it begins to thicken ; take it off the 
fire, and add to it, while still hot, half a box of gelatine which 
has been standing an hour on the hearth to dissolve in a little 
cold water. When just beginning to set, stir it well to make 
it smooth, then add the pint of cream whipped. Mold it. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 285 



Charlotte-russe. 

Tlie sponge-cake may be made with four eggs, one cupful of 
sugar, one and one-half cupfuls of flour, and two even tea-spoon- 
fuls of yeast powder, or as described for sponge jelly-cake (see 
page 300). 

To make an even sheet, professional cooks pass the cake bat- 
ter through the meringue bag on a large sheet of foolscap pa- 
per in rows which touch each other, and which run together 
smoothly when baking ; or, without the meringue bag, it may 
be spread over the sheet as evenly as possible. When baked, 
an oval piece is cut to fit the bottom of the charlotte pan, then 
even-sized parallelograms are cut to fit around the sides. Fill 
with cream made as follows : Whip one pint of cream flavored 
with vanilla to a stiff froth, and add to it the well-beaten whites 
of two eggs, and one half-pound of pulverized sugar ; mix it all 
lightly and carefully together. Fill the charlotte pan, or pans, 
and put them into the ice-chest to set. 

This is the best and simplest manner of making a charlotte- 
russe. Many take the trouble to add gelatine, which is unnec- 
essary. Professor Blot made the filling of his charlotte-russe 
of sweetened and flavored whipped cream only. It will harden 
without difficulty if placed upon the ice, and it is very deli- 
cate ; yet the whites of eggs are an improvement. If there is 
only enough cake at hand to fit the sides of the pan, put a pa- 
per in the bottom of the mold cut to fit it, and the charlotte 
can be served without a top. 

These charlottes are very prettily decorated on top with icing 
squeezed through a small-sized funnel ; or, you may pour a 
transparent icing over the whole, and make the decoration over 
this with the common icing. Sometimes they are made in lit- 
tle molds, one charlotte for each plate, and, again, a large char- 
lotte is decorated with a circle of strawberries around it. 

Cream is much more easily frothed when placed on ice and 
thoroughly chilled before whipping ; when whipping it, place 
the froth on a sieve, and all that drops through can be returned 
to the bowl to be rewhipped. Sometimes professional cooks 
work the froth with an egg-whisk to make it finer grained. 



PRACTICAL GOOEINQ, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Ambrosia. 
Slice peeled oranges. Make alternate layers of orange slices, 
sugar, and grated cocoa-nut, until a glass dish is filled, having 
grated cocoa-nut on top ; now pour a little sherry wine over the 
top, to run through the mixtures. It is as often served with- 
out the wine. 



DESSERTS OF RICE. 
To Boil Rice. 
Always cook rice with plenty of salt ; it is insipid without 
it. It is sometimes cooked in a steamer, with milk, without 
stirring it; although it is more quickly cooked by soaking it 
an hour or two, and then throwing it into salted boiling water 
in the brightest of saucepans. To half a pound of the rice use 
about five pints of water. Let it simmer about twenty min- 
utes. Handle it carefully, not to break the kernels. 

Rice-pudding. 

This receipt makes one of the plainest and best puddings 
ever eaten. It is a success where every grain of rice seems ly- 
ing in a creamy bed. 

Ingredients : One cupful of boiled rice (better if just cooked, 
and still hot), three cupfuls of milk, three-quarters of a cupful 
of sugar, a table-spoonful of corn starch, two eggs ; add flavor- 
ing. 

Dissolve the corn starch first with a little milk, and then stir 
in the remainder of the milk ; add the yolks of the eggs and the 
sugar beaten together. Now put this over the fire (there is 
less risk of burning in a custard-kettle), and when hot add the 
hot rice. It will seem as if there were too much milk for the 
rice; but there is not. Stir it carefully until it begins to 
thicken like boiled custard, then take it off the fire, and add 
the flavoring, say, extract of lemon. Put it into a pudding- 
dish, and place it in the oven. Now beat the whites of the 
eggs to a stiff froth, and add a little sugar and flavoring. 
Take the pudding from the oven when colored a little, spread 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 287 

the froth over the top, and return it to the oven for a few min- 
utes to give the froth a delicate coloring. 

Rice-cones. 
Mold boiled rice, when hot, in cups which have been previ- 
ously dipped in cold water; when cold, turn them out on a 
flat dish, arranging them uniformly ; then with a tea-spoon 
scoop out a little of the rice from the top of each cone, and 
put in its place any kind of jelly. Just before serving, pour in 
the bottom of the dish hot brandy-sauce. For a change, it is 
well to boil a stick of cinnamon in the rice to flavor it. 

Rice-cake, with Peaches. 
When some rice is cooked in a steamer with milk, and is 
still hot, add a little butter, sugar, and one or two eggs. But- 
ter a plain pudding-mold, strew the butter with bread-crumbs, 
and put in a layer of rice half an inch thick ; then a layer of 
peaches, and continue alternate layers of each until the mold 
is full. Bake this for about fifteen or twenty minutes in an 
oven ; when done, turn the cake out of the mold, and pour in 
the bottom of the dish a boiled custard-sauce flavored with wine, 
or any thing preferred. 

Rice-cake, with Pine-apple. 

Prepare rice as above. Cut the pine-apple into dice, and boil 
them in sirup (water and sugar boiled ten or fifteen minutes) ; 
drain and mix them in the rice. Butter a plain pudding-mold 
or basin, and strew it with bread-crumbs ; put in the rice and 
pine-apple, and bake it; when done, turn it out of the mold, 
and pour around it a sauce made as follows: Peel three large 
apples, and cook them in one pint of sirup sweetened to taste. 
When the apples are quite soft, strain them through a sieve, 
and mix this sirup with that in which the pine-apple was cook- 
ed ; boil, or reduce it until it coats the spoon. 

Ground Rice-pudding, with Chocolate Sauce. 
Steam one quarter of a pound of ground rice and one pint 
of cream a quarter of an hour, then flavor it with vanilla ; add 



288 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

one ounce of butter, the yolks of four eggs, let it cool, and beat 
it for half an hour ; beat up the whites of the eggs to a froth, 
which mix in gently. Steam it a quarter of an hour. Serve 
it with half a pint of boiled custard, having one ounce of soaked 
and mashed chocolate stirred well into it, poured into the bot- 
tom of the dish. 

Orange Snow-balls {Mrs. Acton). 
Boil some rice for ten minutes, drain, and let it cool. Pare 
some oranges, taking off all the thick white skin ; spread the 
rice in as many portions as there are oranges, on some pudding 
or dumpling cloths. Tie the fruit (surrounded by the rice) 
separately in these, and boil the balls for an hour; turn them 
carefully on a dish, sprinkle over plenty of sifted sugar. Serve 
with any kind of sauce or sweetened cream. 

Apple Snow-balls. 

Pare and core some large apples without dividing them. 
Prepare the rice as in the foregoing receipt ; inclose the apples 
separately in it, and boil them three-quarters of an hour. 

Sauce. — A little butter and sugar mixed to a cream ; a spoon- 
ful of corn starch cooked in two cupf uls of boiling water ; fla- 
voring of cinnamon. To mix, see Sweet Sauces. 

Rice Souffl^. 

Ingredients : Half a cupful of rice, one even cupful of sugar, 
one pint of milk, butter the size of a butter-nut, half a lemon, 
five eggs. 

Throw the rice into boiling salted water, and let it boil for ten 
minutes. Then put it into a stew-pan with the milk, butter and 
sugar, and set this to simmer very slowly for about half an hour, 
when the rice should be very soft (or the pan can be placed in 
a vessel of boiling water, or in a steamer). If it is placed di- 
rectly on the range, much care should be taken not to let it 
burn. Now work the rice, etc., with a wooden spoon until it is 
a smooth paste ; add the yolks of the eggs beaten to a perfect 
froth, and a lump of loaf sugar (mashed) which has absorbed 
all the oil out of the rind of the whole lemon (called zest) ; add 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 



289 



also the juice of half of the lemon. If the rice is now too firm, 
add a little cream also. When cold, stir into this the whites of 
the eggs beaten to the stiffest possible froth, and put the mixt- 
ure into a flat pudding-dish, or into little paper cases (see page 
61). Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top or tops. Bake in 
the oven about ten minutes. Serve immediately, or the souffle 
will fall. Ground rice may be used instead of whole rice. It 
should be rubbed smooth with a little cold milk, and then add- 
ed to the remainder of the milk and the butter on the fire, and 
stirred until it thickens. It is then taken off the fire, sweeten- 
ed, and flavored ; the beaten yolks and then the beaten whites 
are stirred in quickly, and the sugar is sprinkled over the top, 
when all is put into the oven. 

KicE Croquettes. 

Ingredients : To half a pound of rice, one quart of milk, one 
tea-cupful of sugar, a very little butter, yolks of one or two eggs 
beaten, flavoring, and a little salt. 

Soak the rice three or four hours in water ; drain, and put into 
a basin with the milk and salt. Set the basin in the steamer, and 
cook until thoroughly done. Then stir in carefully the sugar, 
the yolks of one or two eggs, very little butter, and flavor with 
extract of lemon or vanilla. If fresh lemon is used, add a little 
zest. When cool enough to handle, form into small balls ; press 
the thumb into the centre of each ; insert a little marmalade, or 
jelly of any kind, and close the rice well over them. Roll in 
beaten eggs (sweetened a little), and bread-crumbs. Fry in boil- 
ing-hot lard. 

Rice Pancakes, with Preserves. 

Make the pancakes (see page 70), and while hot spread 
them with butter, and 
with almost any kind 
of preserve or jelly; 
roll them, cut off the 
ends, arrange them 
tastefully on a hot 

platter, sprinkle sugar over the tops, and serve immediately. 

13 




290 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

WINE JELLIES. 
Wine Jelly. 
Ingredients : One box of gelatine soaked in one pint of clear 
cold water, one pint of wine, the juice and the thin cuts of 
rinds of three lemons, one and three-quarter pounds of loaf-su- 
gar, one quart of clear boiling water, the whites of two eggs 
(well beaten) and the shells, with a small stick of cinnamon. 

Soak the gelatine in the pint of cold water an hour, then 
pour over it the quart of boiling water, stirring it well ; now 
add the wine, sugar, eggs, lemon-juice (strained in a fine strain- 
er), and the thinnest possible cuts from the peels of the lemons. 
These cuts take only the little globules of oil in the peel, which 
are exceedingly delicate in flavor, the white part being bitter. 

Add also the small 
stick of cinnamon, as 
it adds much to the 
flavor of the jelly. Put 
this into a porcelain 
kettle, let it boil rap- 
idly about a quarter 
of a minute without 
stirring it ; now, setting the kettle on the hearth, let it remain 
another half-minute to settle, then skim off carefully the scum 
which is at the top ; pour it through the jelly-bag. It should 
be entirely clear : if, however, the first should not be so, return 
it to the bag. 

Cold water should be poured into the molds, then emptied 
just before using. Jelly hardens much quicker on ice, or in 
the coolest place to be found. 

Dip the molds into warm water a moment, before taking out 
the jelly. If allowed to remain a moment too long, the jelly 
might dissolve a little, injuring the form. 

Many kinds of wines and liquors may be used. The above 
receipt is well proportioned for sherry, Madeira, or port; a 
smaller proportion of brandy, maraschino, noyau, or of punch 
would make suflicient flavoring ; a larger portion of Champagne 
might be used, as it is not so strong. 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 291 

Orange Jelly {molded with Quarters of Oranges). 

Ingredients : Eight oranges, two lemons, three-quarters of a 
box of gelatine soaked in half a pint of cold water, three-quar- 
ters of a pound of loaf-sugar, one pint of boiling water, beaten 
whites and shells of two eggs. 

Rub the loaf-sugar on the peels of two oranges and one lem- 
on ; squeeze the juice from six or seven oranges and two lem- 
ons, and strain it. Take off the peel carefully from two or- 
anges, leaving only the transparent skin surrounding the quar- 
ters, and separate all the sections without breaking them. Soak 
the gelatine half an hour in half a pint of water ; boil the other 
pint of water and the sugar together, skimming all the time 
until no more scum rises ; then put in the sections of oranges, 
and when they have boiled about a minute take them out, and 
put them one side. Pour this sirup over the soaked gelatine, 
adding the orange and lemon juice, the beaten whites and the 
shells of two eggs. Put it on the fire, and let it boil about a 
quarter of a minute without stirring ; then, placing it at the 
side of the fire, skim off carefully all the scum at the top, and 
pass it through the jelly-bag. When half of the jelly is in the 
mold, put it on the ice, and let it set hard enough to hold the 
orange sections, which place in a circular row around the edge 
of the mold ; then add enough more jelly to cover the sections ; 
when this has hardened, pour over the remainder of the jelly, 
which should have been kept in a warm place to prevent it from 
hardening. All the sections of orange may be put in with the 
first half of the jelly, as they will rise to the top, although they 
will not hold their places evenly. Or, if time is valuable, mold 
the jelly without the sections, and save them to garnish the 
jelly on the dish. 

Lemon Jelly. 

Ingredients : Half a box of gelatine soaked in half a pint of 
water, juice of five large lemons, two eupfuls of loaf-sugar, or 
sugar to taste, beaten white and shell of an egg, one and a half 
pints of boiling water. 

Soak the gelatine in the half -pint of water half an hour. Rub 
several of the pieces of the sugar on the peel of the lemon, to 



292 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

soak the oil on the surface. Pour a pint and a half of boiling 
water on the soaked gelatine, and add lemon-juice, sugar, and 
egg ; let it come to a boil, then set it at the side of the range 
a few moments ; skim carefully, and pass through the jelly-bag 
into molds. 

Macedoine of Fruits. 

This is made with any kind of jelly ; however, jelly made 
with Champagne or sherry is preferable. Any of the delicate 
fruits of the season, such as grapes, cherries, peaches, strawber- 
ries, raspberries, mulberries, currants (on their stems), plums, 
and orange sections, or preserved fruits, such as brandied cher- 
ries, peaches, etc., are tastefully imbedded in the jelly, so as to 
show their forms and colors to best advantage. A fine bunch 
of Hamburg or of Malaga grapes is exceedingly pretty, incor- 
porated whole into a clear Champagne jelly ; it should be sus- 
pended with a small thread in the centre of the jelly -mold, 
and the jelly poured in when quite cold, although not set. 
The bunches of grapes are in this way much more easily im- 
bedded than other fruits. In the latter case, the mold is placed 
on ice ; a little jelly is poured in, and, when set, some fruits 
are arranged in a circle, or according to taste; more jelly 
poured in, and left to harden again ; more fruit added, and 
thus continued until the mold is full. 

Do not heat the jelly a second time ; merely keep it in a 
warm place, awaiting that on the ice to harden. 

Fancy Jellies. 

Jelly is sometimes formed in a mold with a cylindrical tube 
in the centre ; the open space in the centre is then filled with 
whipped cream. Then, to be still more fanciful, the whipped 
cream may be dotted with strawberries, or any kind of pre- 
served fruits, such as cherries, grapes, cuts of peaches, etc., etc. 

Then there is ribbon jelly, or jelly made in two colors, in this 
way : Half of a Champagne or sherry jelly is colored quite red 
with a few drops of prepared cochineal ; a little pale jelly is 
poured into the mold, and, when set, a layer of the red jelly is 
poured carefully over it, and so continued until the mold is 
filled with alternate layers of the two colors. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 293 

Italian jelly is pretty also. The mold is half filled with jelly, 
and, when set, a chain of cakes of blanc -mange (made rather 
firm, hardened in a thin layer, and cut of equal sizes with a 
pepper-box cover or a small tin cutter) is arranged; then the 
remainder of the jelly is added to the mold. 

Whipped jelly makes a pretty change. When it is set a little, 
put it into a bowl ; whip it with an egg-whisk until it is full of 
air-bubbles. Fill the mold, and put on ice. 

What to do with Parts of Jelly left over in Winter. 

Add lemon -juice; beat the jelly until it becomes entirely 

white, which will take some time, and put it into a mold again. 

Calf's-foot Jelly. 

I have made calf's-foot jelly twice, and never intend to make 
it again. I would not have made it the second time, except for 
the purpose of succeeding, and getting a reliable receipt for this 
book. At the first attempt, I happened to have company who 
had heard that I pretended to be a cook. The jelly was opaque, 
tasteless, and split in two. Here is a successful receipt. It re- 
quires almost every thing known in the cooking calender ; but 
do not attempt it with less, and after a trial use gelatine only 
for jellies. 

Ingredients : Four calf's feet boiled in a gallon of water, sev- 
en eggs, one and a half pounds of sugar, one pint of sherry wine, 
a stick of cinnamon, three cloves, and half a box of gelatine. 

Split the calf's feet, break the bones, and place them on the 
fire at the back of the range, with a gallon of cold water, to boil 
gently for five hours. Skim the water often, which should be 
reduced to rather less than two quarts ; then strain the jelly into 
a pan, and, when perfectly firm, remove the fat and sediment. 

Add to the jelly the beaten whites and crushed shells of 
seven eggs, one and a half pounds of sugar, a pint of sherry 
wine, a stick of cinnamon, three cloves, and half a box of gela- 
tine soaked in a little water, and whip this well together ; set it 
over the fire, and when it has just begun to boil throw in the 
juice of six lemons, and one or two table-spoonfuls of clear, cold 
water; take the kettle off the fire, let it remain at the side in 



294 PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 

rather a liot place about ten minutes, then skim off carefully all 
the scum from the top. Put into the jelly -bag the thin cuts 
from the peels of four lemons, not cutting the white or under 
skin, as that is bitter ; then pour in the jelly, having the appara- 
tus near the fire to prevent the jelly hardening before it has all 
passed through. 

Whipped Jelly, with Fruits. 

Prepare about two cupfuls of preserved fruits — for instance, 
pine -apples, peaches, greengages, and cherries; keep the cher- 
ries whole, but cut the others into dice ; moisten them all with 
sherry. 

Prepare about a quart of Champagne, sherry, or brandy jelly, 
and when strained pour it into a basin, which place on the ice, 
or on ice and salt; whip it now gently with the egg -whisk, 
adding the juice of two lemons ; when it begins to set, and is 
quite frothy (not too much so, however), stir in the fruits ; 
place all into a mold, and surround it with ice. 



CAKE. 



Rules for Cake. — Have every thing ready before mixing the 
material — i. e., the ingredients all measured and prepared, and 
the tins buttered. The sooner the cake is mixed (after the in- 
gredients are ready) and put into the oven, the better. Sift the 
flour, and have it dry. Mix baking-powder or cream of tartar, 
if used, well into the flour, passing it through the sieve sev- 
eral times, if particular. Roll the sugar ; mix sugar and butter 
together to a cream. The eggs must then be very, very well 
beaten separately. If one person makes the cake, beat the 
yolks first. If soda is used, dissolve it in the milk, or, if no 
milk is used, in a little lukewarm water ; add it the last thing, 
unless fruit is used, when it should always be rolled in flour, 
and added the last thing. Cake, to be light, should be baked 
slowly at first, until the batter is evenly heated all through. 
Many leave the oven door slightly open for the first ten or fif- 
teen minutes. The prepared flour is especially good for cake. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 295 



Sponge-cake. 

This is the most perfect of sponge-cakes, when properly 
made. 

Ingredients : Ten eggs, one pound of pulverized sugar, half 
a pound of flour, juice of half a large lemon, with the rind 
grated. 

After all the ingredients are quite ready — i. e., the flour and 
sugar sifted, the lemon-peel grated, the half lemon squeezed, and 
the tins buttered — the success of this cake is in the beating of 
the eggs. Two persons should beat them at least half an hour, 
one beating the whites, and the other the yolks and half of the 
sugar together. Next cut the yolks into the whites, then stir 
in lightly the remainder of the sugar, then the flour and lemon 
by degrees.* 

The oven heat should be rather moderate at first. Much of 
the success depends upon this, as the batter should be evenly 
heated throughout before it begins to rise. When baked, 
spread over the cakes a wafer thickness of icing (see page 304) 
slightly flavored with vanilla. 

White Cake (Miss Eliza Brown). 

I venture to say there is not to be found a better receipt for 
white cake than the following. The cake is mixed contrary to 
the usual rules for making cake, but it is the best mode for 
making it fine-grained and delicate. 

Ingredients: Whites of six eggs, scant three-quarters of a 
cupful of butter, one and one -quarter cupfuls of pulverized 
sugar, two cupfuls of flour, juice of half a lemon, one -quarter 
of a tea-spoonful of soda. 

If soda is used, mix it well with the flour, and pass it through 
the sieve several times to distribute it equally. Beat the butter 
to a light cream, and add the flour to it, stirring it in gradual- 
ly with the ends of the fingers until it is a smooth paste. Beat 

* A pound of sugar is three cupfuls ; half a pound of flour, two and a 
half cupfuls — i. e., the ordinary sized kitchen cup. Do not try to make 
half the quantity. 



296 FRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

the whites of the six eggs to a stiff froth, and mix in them the 
pulverized sugar ; now stir the Qgg and sugar gradually into the 
flour and butter, adding also the lemon-juice, and mix it smoothly 
together with the egg-whisk. As soon as it is perfectly smooth, 
put it into the oven, the heat of which should be rather moder- 
ate at first. When done and still hot, spread over it a frosting 
made with the white of one egg, pulverized sugar (see page 304), 
and a flavoring of lemon. The frosting is a decided improve- 
ment, and, according to the receipt, only requires a few min- 
utes to prepare. 

This cake may be made with one tea -spoonful of baking- 
powder, or with prepared flour, or with the one -quarter tea- 
spoonful of soda and one-half tea-spoonful of cream of tartar, 
when the essence of lemon should be used instead of the lem- 
on-juice. 

Jumbles {Mrs. Wadsworth). 

Ingredients : Two cupfuls of sugar, three eggs (beaten sepa- 
rately) ; one cupful of butter, just enough flour to roll it out. 

Mix quickly, and roll it thin. Cut out the cakes with a round 
cake-cutter, cutting them out again in the centre with the top 
of the pepper-glass of the caster. When they are in the pans, 
wet the tops, using a paste-brush or feather, with the white of 
an egg slightly beaten. Then sprinkle over very coarse-pound- 
ed lump-sugar ; the sugar, in fact, in little lumps. 

Almond Jumbles. 

Ingredients : One pound of sugar, one-half pound of butter, 
one pound of almonds blanched and chopped fine, two eggs, 
flour enough to mix stiff. 

Roll thin. Moisten the top of each one with the white of 
eggs, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake quickly. 

Some persons wet the jumbles with a brush or a little cloth 
saturated with sherry-wine after they are cooked, and then re- 
turn them to the oven a few moments to dry. 

Cocoa-nut Cake [Miss Emma Witt, of Cleveland). 
Ingredients : One-half coffee-cupful of butter, two small tea- 
spoonfuls of cream of tartar, two and one-half coffee-cupfuls of 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 297 



sugar, one small tea-spoonful of soda, four and one-lialf coffee- 
cupfuls of flour, two grated cocoa-nuts, one coffee -cupful of 
sweet milk, the whites of seven eggs. 

Reserve a large handful of the grated cocoa-nut to sprinkle 
on the frosting. This cake looks most beautiful mixed with 
fruit-cake in a cake-basket. 

Fruit-cake {Miss Abbie Carpenter, of Saratoga). 

Ingredients: One pound of flour, one pound of sugar, one 
and one-eighth pound of butter, one-half pound of candied cit- 
ron, four pounds of currants, four pounds of raisins (stoned 
and chopped), nine eggs, one table - spoonful each of ground 
cloves, of cinnamon, of mace, and of nutmeg, and three gills of 
brandy. 

This cake is perhaps not too large, as it will keep for years. 

English Pound-cake. 

Ingredients: One pound of butter beaten to a cream, one 
pound of pounded sugar, ten eggs (whites and yolks beaten 
separately), one pound of dried flour, eight ounces of almonds, 
eight ounces of candied peel, two wine-glasses of brandy. 

When all are well beaten together, add three pounds of En- 
glish currants and one pound of raisins (both dredged in flour). 
Set it immediately in a moderate oven, and bake three hours 

at least. 

Boston Cream-cakes. 

Paste.— One pint of water, half a pound of butter, three- 
quarters of a pound of flour, ten eggs. 

Boil the water and butter together ; stir in the flour while 
boiling, and let it cook a moment ; when cool, add the eggs, 
well beaten, with a tea -spoonful of saleratus and a little salt. 
Drop with a spoon on buttered tins, forming little cakes some 
distance apart. Bake in a quick oven ; they will puff in bak- 
ing. When done and cold, cut one side large enough to insert 
the cream with a spoon. This will make about sixty cakes. 

Cream.— One cupful of flour, two cupfuls of sugar, four eggs, 
one quart of milk. 

Beat the eggs and sugar together, then add flour and enough 
13* 



298 PRACTICAL COOKING, ANB DINNEB GIVING. 

of the milk to make a smooth and thin paste ; pour this into 
the remainder of the milk when it is boiling, and stir constant- 
ly until it is sufficiently thickened; flavor with vanilla. Do 
not use it until it is cold. It is better to make this, as indeed 
all custards, in a custard-kettle. 

Crullers {Miss Amanda Newton). 
Beat three eggs well with four table-spoonfuls of sugar ; add 
four or five table-spoonfuls of melted lard, then flour enough to 
make it not too stiff. Roll rather thin (one-third of an inch). 
Cut the cakes into shapes, and throw them into boiling lard, 
like doughnuts. They may be simply shaped, as in Fig. 1. 







To give them the shape of Fig. 3, first cut the paste, as in Fig. 
2 ; hold the first line with the thumb and finger of the left 
hand, then with the right hand slip the second line under the 
first, then the third under the second, and so on until they are 
all slipped under ; pinch the two ends together, and the cruller 
will be in form of Fig. 3. 

Doughnuts {Mrs. Bartlett). 
Ingredients : Two eggs, one cupful of sugar, one cupful of 
sour milk, half a tea-spoonful of soda, four table-spoonfuls of 
melted lard ; add flour, making the dough rather soft. 

Fry them in hot lard, and sprinkle pulverized sugar over them 
while still hot. 

Bread-cake. 
Ingredients: Three cupfuls of bread -dough, one cupful of 
butter, three scant cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of raisins or 
English currants, three eggs, a nutmeg grated, one tea-spoonful 
of soda, two tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar, a wine-glassful of 
brandy. 

Gingerbread {Mrs. Lansing), No. 1. 
Ingredients : Two cupfuls of molasses, one cupful of butter, 



PHACTWAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 299 

one cupful of sugar, one cupful of milk (sour or sweet)., five 
eggs, five cupfuls of sifted flour, two table-spoonfuls of ginger, 
lialf a tea-spoonful of cloves, one tea-spoonful of soda. 

Gingerbread (No. 2). 

Ingredients : One cupful (half a pint) of molasses, one cup- 
ful (half a pint) of boiling water, butter the size of an egg, one 
tea-spoonful each of ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ginger, 
and soda, half a pound of flour (light weight). 

First, put butter (partly melted) into the molasses, then spices. 
Dissolve the soda in the boiling water; stir it into the mo- 
lasses, etc. ; then the flour. Cream of tartar should not be used 

with molasses. 

Chocolate-cake. 

Make a cup-cake with the following ingredients : One cupful 
of butter, two cupfuls of sugar, three cupfuls of flour, one cup- 
ful of milk, four eggs beaten separately, one tea -spoonful of 
soda, two tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar, or two tea-spoonfuls 
of yeast powder. 

Cut the cup-cake, when baked, through the middle, or bake 
it in two or three parts. Put a layer of the chocolate mixture 
between and on the top and sides of the cake. 

Chocolate Mixture. — Five table - spoonfuls of grated choco- 
late, with enough cream or milk to wet it, one cupful of sugar, 
and one egg well beaten. Stir the ingredients over the fire 
until thoroughly mixed ; then flavor with vanilla. 

Mountain-cake. 

Ingredients : Whites of six eggs, one and a quarter cupfuls 
of sugar, one and a quarter cupfuls of flour, half a cupful of 
butter, half a cupful of sweet milk, half a cupful of corn starch, 
a little vanilla, two tea-spoonfuls of baking-powder. 

Bake it in two or three parts, like jelly-cake ; put a frosting 
between the layers and on top of the cake, made of the whites 
of four eggs, nine table-spoonfuls of pulverized sugar, and a lit- 
tle vanilla ; or use grated cocoa-nut, mixed thickly in the frost- 
ing, without vanilla ; or use the chocolate mixture in the prece- 
ding receipt ; or make it a jelly-cake. 



300 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Cream Cake or Pie (Mrs. Arnold). 

This is an excellent dessert cut as a pie, or it may be served 
as a cake for tea. 

Crust. — Three eggs, one cupful of sugar, one cupful of flour, 
one -third of a tea -spoonful of soda, and one tea -spoonful of 
cream of tartar. Beat the whites and yolks well separately; 
stir all together as quickly as possible, and bake in two pans (if 
rather small ; if large, use only one), the batter three-quarters 
of an inch thick. 

Cream. — Two and a half cupfuls of sweet milk, four even 
table-spoonfuls of sugar, two table-spoonfuls of flour, and one 
egg. Boil this a few moments until it has thickened, and flavor 
with vanilla or lemon. 

When the crust is cold, split it, and put the custard between. 

This cake is much improved with a boiled icing. 

Sponge Jelly-cake (Mrs. Pope). 

Ingredients : Five eggs, one cupful of sugar, one cupful of 
flour, two even tea-spoonfuls of yeast-powder, and grated rind 
of a lemon. 

Beat the yolks, sugar, and lemon together to a cream ; add 
whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth ; then the flour and yeast- 
powder perfectly mixed. Bake in a dripping-pan, and when 
done spread jelly (not sweet) over the bottom of the cake, roll 
it from the side, and sprinkle sugar over the top ; or bake it in 
two or three jelly -cake pans, and spread jelly between. The 
cake may be iced on the bottom. The rolled jelly-cake may 
be cut into slices, and served with a sweet sauce for dessert. 

CocoA-NUT Cones. 

Ingredients : One pound of cocoa-nut grated, half a pound of 
sugar, the whites of two eggs, and the yolk of one egg. 

Beat the yolk well ; add the sugar to it ; then the cocoa-nut 
and whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Drop by the 
tea-spoonful on sheets of buttered paper placed on tins. Form 
each little cake into the shape of a cone, and bake in a moder- 
ate oven about half an hour. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 301 

' Croquante Cake {Mrs. Lachland). 

Ingredients: Three-quarters of a pound of shelled almonds, 
half a pound of citron, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, 
three-quarters of a pound of flour, and six eggs. 

Blanch and halve the almonds, and slice the citron ; mix 
them well together, and roll them in flour ; add to them the 
sugar, then the eggs (well beaten), lastly the flour. Butter shal- 
low pans, and lay in the mixture two inches thick. After it is 
baked in a quick oven, slice the cake into strips one inch wide, 
and turn every strip. Return the pan to the oven, and bake 
the sides a little. When cold, put it away in tin boxes. This 
cake will keep a year or more, and for reserve use is quite in- 
valuable. 

To Blanch Almonds. 

Put them over the fire in cold water, and let them remain 
until the water is almost at the boiling-point, not allowing them 
to boil ; then throw them into cold water. Remove the skins, 
and dry the almonds in a cloth before using. 

When they are to be pounded for macaroons, meringues, etc., 
they should be first dried for two or three days in a gentle heat. 

Rebecca Cake {Mrs. North). 

Ingredients : Half a cupful of butter, one cupful of sugar, 
one cupful of sweet milk, one ^gg, one pint of flour, one tea- 
spoonful of soda, and two tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar. 

For a change, a cupful of raisins or of English currants, or a 
mixture of both, or an addition of sliced citron, may be added. 

Ginger-snaps {Mrs. Leach). 

Ingredients: One pint of molasses, one coffee -cupful of 
brown sugar, one coffee-cupful of butter, one table-spoonful of 
ginger, and one heaping tea-spoonful of soda dissolved in one 
table-spoonful of hot water. 

Mix very thick with flour, and roll them very thin. 

Plain Cookies. 
Ingredients: One cupful of butter (or half butter and half 



302 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 

lard), two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of milk, two eggs, about 
a quart of flour (cookies are better to have no more flour than 
is necessary for rolling them thin without sticking), three tea- 
spoonfuls (not heaping) of yeast-powder, or one tea-spoonful 
of cream of tartar and half a tea-spoonful of soda. 

Sour milk can be used, when add the half tea - spoonful of 
soda, and omit the cream of tartar. Bake in a quick oven. 

Almond Macaroons. 
Blanch and skin eight ounces of Jordan almonds and one 
ounce of bitter ones ; dry them on a sieve, and pound them to 
a smooth paste in a mortar, adding occasionally a very little 
water, to prevent them from getting oily ; add to them five 
ounces of pulverized sugar, one tea - spoonful of rice flour, and 
the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth ; with a spoon, 
put this on paper in drops the size of a walnut ; bake in a slow 
oven until they are of a light-brown color, and firmly set ; take 
them from the paper by wetting the under side of it. 

Lady's-fingers. 
Mix six yolks of eggs with half a pound of powdered sugar ; 
work the preparation with a spoon until it is frothy ; then mix 
into it the whites of six eggs well beaten, and at the same time 
a quarter of a pound of flour, dried and sifted. Put this batter 
into a meringue bag, and squeeze it through in strips, two or 
three inches long, and sprinkle over some fine sugar ; bake in a 
slack oven twelve or fourteen minutes. 

MERINGUES A LA CrEME. 

Ingredients : Six whites of eggs, nine ounces of pulverized 
sugar, half a pint of cream (whipped), three ounces of sugar 
with the cream, a slight flavoring of vanilla. 

Whip the eggs to a very stiff froth, add three or four drops 
of vanilla, and mix in the pulverized sifted sugar, by turning 
the sugar all over the eggs at once, and cutting it together very 
carefully. Sprinkle sugar over a tin platter, and on it place 
table-spoonfuls of this mixture at convenient distances apart; 
smooth the tops, and sprinkle a little sugar over them also. 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 303 

The secret of making meringues is in the baking. Put them 
into a moderate oven, and leave the oven-door open for thirty- 
five minutes at least. They should not be allowed to color for 
that time, which would prevent them from drying properly, and 
a thin paper crust is very undesirable for a meringue ; in fact, 
the longer they dry before coloring, the thicker will be the 
crust. They should be in the oven at least three-quarters of 
an hour, only allowing them to color slightly the last two or 
three minutes. While they are still hot, scoop out carefully 
the soft contents, and when they are cold fill them with whip- 
ped cream, press two of them together, forming a ball, and put 
them into the refrigerator to set the cream. 

Whipped Cream. — Add the three ounces of sugar and a fla- 
voring of vanilla, sherry, or any thing preferred, to the cream, 
and when whipped put the froth into a kitchen bowl, and whip 
it again with the egg-whip or a machine egg-beater ; this makes 
it finer-grained and stiffer. 

A much prettier arrangement for dessert is the meringue as it 
is fashioned at Delmonico's. Instead of little meringues, each 
one is made a half ball, about six inches in diameter. They 
are dried very slowly, so that the crust is about one-third of an 
inch thick. When 
emptied of the ff^''^'^%A 

soft interiors, and ^#lft /# 70^ 

when cold, two 
shells are placed 
on a platter, like 
an open clam- 
shell. The whip- 
ped cream, when about to serve (already set, by being on the 
ice), is banked between them, reaching as high above as suits 
the fancy. The cream may be decorated with strawberries, 
raspberries, etc., or it may be served without ornamentation. 

German Cake {Mrs. Schulenhurg). 
Ingredients : One pound of flour, three-quarters of a pound 
of butter, six ounces of sugar, one egg, half a cupful of rum. 
Bake in a pie -pan, pressing the cake until it is about one- 




304 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

quarter of an inch high. Before baking, sprinkle sugar and 
ground cinnamon on top ; after it is baked, cut it into squares 
while it is yet warm. 

Ranaque Buns. 

Ingredients : One pound of butter, one and a quarter pounds 
of sugar, two pounds of flour, six eggs, four table-spoonfuls of 
ground cinnamon. 

Mix the cinnamon into the flour ; rub the butter to a cream, 
then mix the flour with it. Beat the sugar with the eggs, then 
all together, as little as possible. Distribute this by the spoon- 
ful into rough-looking cakes on buttered tins placed at a little 
distance apart. This is a very nice lunch-cake. 

Frosting. 

The old way of making frosting was a half -day's work. I 
now laugh at the extra exertion once made to be sure that the 
eggs were sufiiciently and properly beaten. The following is 
the true way to make frosting, which is done and dried on the 
cake in ten minutes, allowing three minutes for the making : 

Use a heaping tea -cupful of fine pulverized sugar to the 
white of each ^gg^ or, say, a pound of sugar to the whites of 
three eggs. Beat the whites until they are slightly foaming 
only; do not beat them to a froth. The sugar may all be 
poured on the egg at once, or, if considered easier to mix, it 
may be gradually added. Either way, as soon as the sugar and 
eggs are thoroughly stirred together, and flavored with a little 
lemon or vanilla, the icing is ready to spread over the cake. It 
would be advisable to ice the cakes as soon as they are taken 
from the oven. The icing made with the white of one egg is 
quite sufiicient to frost an ordinary-sized cake. 

It is very little extra trouble to decorate a frosted cake. 
One can purchase funnels for the purpose with different shaped 
ends. In place of no better funnel, make a cornucopia of stiff 
writing-paper ; fill it with the frosting, and press it out at the 
small end, forming different shapes, according to taste, over the 
cake. Little centre-pieces or leaves can always be purchased at 
the confectioner's to aid in the decoration. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 305 

For a cocoa-nut-cake, mix plenty of the grated cocoa-nut into 
tlie frosting, which spread over the cake ; decorate it then with 
plain frosting. 

For a chocolate-cake, after spreading over the chocolate frost- 
ing mentioned in the receipt for chocolate-cake, decorate it with 
delicate lines of the white frosting. 

The appearance of boiled icing (which is generally flavored 
with lemon) is much improved also by a decoration with the 
plain white frosting. 

Boiled Icing. 

Ingredients : One pound of sugar, whites of three eggs. 

First, boil the sugar with a little water ; when it is ready to 
candy, or will spin in threads when dropping from the end of 
a spoon, take it off the fire, and while it is still boiling hot add 
the whites of the eggs well beaten, stirring them in as fast as 
possible. Flavor with lemon (if preferred), vanilla, Jamaica 
rum, or any of the flavorings, and it is ready for use. 



CANDIES. 

Caramels (Mrs. Wadsworth). 

Ingredients : One cupful of best sirup, one cupful of brown 
sugar, one cupful of white sugar, two cupfuls of grated choco- 
late, two cupfuls of cream, vanilla, one tea -spoonful of flour 
mixed with the cream. 

Rub the chocolate to a smooth paste with a little of the 
cream; boil all together half an hour, and pour it into flat 
dishes to cool ; mark it with a knife into little squares when it 
is cool enough. 

White-sugar Candy [Miss Eliza Brown). 

Ingredients : Four pounds of sugar, one pint of water, four 
table-spoonfuls of cream, four table-spoonfuls of vinegar, butter 
the size of an egg. 

Boil all together slowly for about three-quarters of an hour. 



306 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Vinegar Candy (Mrs. Clifford). 

Ingredients : Three cupfuls of sugar, half a cupful of vine- 
gar, half a cupful of water, one tea-spoonful of soda. 

"When it boils, stir in the soda. If the candy is preferred 
clear, stir it as little as possible ; if grained, stir it. 



ICES. 



With a patent five-minute freezer (it really takes, however, 
from fifteen minutes to half an hour to freeze any thing), it is 
as cheap and easy to make ices in summer as almost any other 
kind of dessert. If one has cream, the expense is very little, as 
a cream-whipper costs but twenty-five cents. A simple cream, 
sweetened, flavored, whipped, and then frozen, is one of the 
most delicious of ice-creams. By having the cream quite cold, 
a pint can be whipped, with this cream-whipper, in five or ten 
minutes. It will require ten cents' worth of ice — half of it to 
freeze the preparation, and the other half to keep it frozen un- 
til the time of serving. Salt is not proverbially expensive; a 
half -barrel or bushel of coarse salt will last a long time, es- 
pecially as a portion of it can be used a second time. In 
summer, fruits, such as peaches or pears, quartered, or any kind 
of berries, are most delicious half frozen and served with sugar. 
The chocolate ice-cream with fruit is excellent. The devices 
of form for creams served at handsome dinners in large cities 
are very beautiful ; for instance, one sees a hen surrounded by 
her chickens ; or a hen sitting on the side of a spun-glass nest, 
looking sideways at her eggs ; or a fine collection of fruits in 
colors. One may see also a perfect imitation of asparagus 
with a cream-dressing, the asparagus being made of the pistache 
cream, and the dressing simply a whipped cream. These fancy 
displays are, of course, generally arranged by the confectioner. 
It is a convenience, of course, when giving dinner companies, to 
have the dessert or any other course made outside of the house ; 
but for ordinary occasions, ices are no niore troublesome to pre- 



PB ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 307 

pare than any thing else, especially when they can be made 
early in the day, or even the day before serving. 

Frozen Whipped Cream. 
Flavor and sweeten the cream, making it rather sweet. 
Whip it, and freeze the froth. 

Vanilla Ice-cream. 
Beat the yolks of eight eggs with three-quarters of a pound 
of sugar until very light. Put one and a half pints of rich 
milk on the fire to scald, highly flavored with the powdered va- 
nilla-bean (say, one heaping table -spoonful). When the milk 
is well scalded, stir it into the eggs as soon as it is cool enough 
not to curdle. Now stir the mixture constantly (the custard 
pan or pail being set in a vessel of boiling water) until it has 
slightly thickened. Do not let it remain too long and curdle, 
or it will be spoiled. When taken off the fire again, mix in a 
quarter of a box of gelatine, which has been soaked half an 
hour in two table - spoonfuls of lukewarm water near the fire. 
The heat of the custard will be sufficient to dissolve it, if it is 
not already sufficiently dissolved. Cool the custard well before 
putting it into the freezer, as this saves time and ice. When 
it is in the freezer, however, stir it almost constantly until it 
begins to set ; then stir in lightly a pint of cream, whipped. 
Stir it for two or three minutes longer, put it into a mold, and 
return it to a second relay of ice and salt. The powdered va- 
nilla can be purchased at drug-stores or at confectioners'. It is 
much better than the extract for any purpose, and is used by 
all the best restaurateurs. 

Delmonico Vanilla Cream. 

Ingredients : One and a half pints of cream, one ounce of 
isinglass, one pound of sugar, yolks of eight eggs, half a pint of 
milk, vanilla powder. 

Scald the cream only ; then add the isinglass dissolved in 
the milk, and pour it on the sugar and eggs beaten together to 
a froth ; add the flavoring. Strain, cool, and freeze it ; then 
pack it for three hours and a half at least. 



308 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Chocolate Ice-cream 
is made in the same way as the vanilla ice-cream, adding a fla- 
voring of chocolate and a little vanilla powder. For instance, 
to make a quart and a half of cream : Make the boiled custard 
with the yolks of six eggs, half a pound of sugar, one pint of 
boiled milk, and a tea -spoonful (not heaping) of vanilla pow- 
der. Pound smooth four ounces of chocolate ; add a little sug- 
ar and one or two table - spoonfuls of hot water. Stir it over 
the fire until it is perfectly smooth. Add this and a table- 
spoonful of thin, dissolved gelatine to the hot custard. When 
about to set in the freezer, add one pint of cream, whipped. 

To Make a Mold of Chocolate and Vanilla Creams. 

Freeze the different 
creams in two freezers. 
Cut a piece of paste- 
board to fit the centre 
of a mold ; fill each side 
with the two creams, re- 
move the pasteboard, and imbed the mold in ice and salt for 
two hours. 

Strawberry Ice-cream. 

Sprinkle sugar over strawberries, mash them well, and rub 
them through a sieve. To a pint of the juice add half a pint 
of good cream. Make it very sweet. Freeze it in the usual 
way, and, when beginning to set, stir in lightly one pint of 
cream (whipped), and, lastly, a handful of whole strawberries, 
sweetened. Put it into a mold, which imbed in ice. Or, when 
fresh strawberries can not be obtained, there is no more deli- 
cious cream than that made with the French bottled strawber- 
ries. Mix the juice in the bottle with the cream, and add the 
whipped cream and the whole strawberries, when the juice, etc., 
have partly set in the freezer. 

Many prefer this cream of a darker red color, which is ob- 
tained by using prepared cochineal. 




PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



309 



Napolitaine Cream. 
To make a form of three colors: Vanilla, chocolate, and 
strawberry ice-creams are frozen in three different freezers, and 




filled in a mold the form of a brick in three smooth layers of 
equal size. 

Chocolate Fruit Ice-cream. 

Make a chocolate cream. When set in the freezer, add 
about half a pound of assorted French candied or preserved 
fruits cut into small pieces. Put it into a melon-shaped mold, 
to imitate a plum -pudding. When ready to serve, turn the 
cream on a platter, and make a circle around it of whipped 




cream, sweetened and flavored with vanilla. This cream is a 
decided success, and a beautiful dessert for a dinner-party. It 
may be improved by sprinkling over it chopped almonds dried 
of a light -brown color, mixed with chopped pistachios. This 
is intended to imitate the rugged appearance of the rind of a 
melon. 

Frozen Fruit Custard. 

Ingredients : One pint of rich milk, one pint of cream (whip- 
ped), yolks of three eggs, one and a half cupfuls of sugar, one 
pint of fresh peaches cut into pieces not too small, or fresh ripe 
berries. 

Beat the eggs and sugar well together. Heat the pint of 



310 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



milk almost to the boiling-point, and add it gradually to the 
beaten eggs and sugar. Return it to the custard - kettle, and 
stir it constantly until it has slightly thickened, taking care that 
it does not curdle. When the custard is partly frozen, having 
stirred it in the usual way, add the whipped cream ; stir a few 
minutes longer, and then stir in the fruit. Put all into a mold, 
which place in a fresh relay of ice and salt. 

German Steamer Baked Ice-cream. 

This dish was at least a curiosity, served at the table of one 
of the German steamers. A flat, round sponge-cake served as 
a base. A circular mold of very hard frozen ice-cream was 
placed on this, and then covered with a meringue, or whipped 
white of Qgg, sweetened and flavored. The surface was quickly 
colored with a red-hot salamander, which gave the dish the ap- 
pearance of being baked. 

The gentleman who told me about this dish insisted that it 
was put into the oven and quickly colored, as the Qgg surround- 
ing the cream was a sufiiciently good non-conductor of heat to 
protect the ice for one or two minutes. However, there is less 
risk with a salamander. 



Pine-apple Ice-cream Pudding. 
Add one pound of pine -apple grated fine to the yolks of 
eight eggs well beaten with one pound of sugar, one and a 
half pints of boiled cream, and a very little salt. Stir all to- 
gether over the fire un- 
til it begins to thick- 
en. When beginning 
to set in the freezer 
(having stirred it in 
the usual way), add a 
pint of cream (whip- 
ped). This addition 
of the whipped cream 
is a great improve- 
ment, although it is generally omitted. Put it into a form. 
When ready to serve, press the tuft of leaves, cut from the 




PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



311 



pine-apple and trimmed, in the top of the cream, 
with whipped and sweetened cream. 



Surround it 



Iced Rice-pudding {FrancatelU). 

Wash and parboil half a pound of rice ; then put it into a 
stew-pan, with a quart of milk and a pint of cream, two sticks 
of vanilla, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and a little salt. 
Allow the rice to simmer very gently over or by a slow fire, 
until the grains are almost dissolved, stirring it occasionally 
with a light hand. When the rice is done, and while it is yet 
hot, add the yolks of six eggs; then stir all well together 
for several minutes, in order to mix in the eggs, and also for 
the purpose of breaking up and smoothing the rice. Let this 
rice custard be frozen like an ordinary ice-cream, stirring it 
from the sides until it is set, when put it into a mold, and im- 
merse it in the ice and salt. 

While the above part of the process is going on, a compote 
of twelve oranges should be prepared in the following manner : 
First, separate them into sections, and remove every particle of 
the white pith with a small knife, laying the transparent pulp 
of the fruit quite bare. When all the oranges are ready, throw 
them into a stew-pan containing about a pint of sirup (made 
with one pound of 
sugar and nearly a 
pint of clear water) ; 
allow the pieces of 
oranges to boil up 
gently in this for two 
minutes, and then 
drain them in a sieve. 
Boil the sirup down 
to about one -half of 
its original quantity; then add two wine-glassfuls of cura§oa 
and three table-spoonfuls of peach marmalade or apricot jam ; 
mix all together, and pour this preparation over the oranges in 
a basin. When about to send the pudding to table, turn it 
out of the mold on a platter, dress the compote of oranges on 
the top and around the base, pour the sirup over it, and serve. 




312 FR ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Biscuit Glaces, in Small Cases. 
Beat well eight j^olks of eggs, with ten ounces of sugar, and 
a very little salt ; add one pint of cream. Stir over the fire un- 
til slightly thickened. Flavor with vanilla powder, the extract 
of almonds, lemon, or with coffee or chocolate. It may also 
be made by adding a puree of peaches, strawberries, raspber- 
ries, or pine-apple to the custard. When just beginning to set 
in the freezer, stir in lightly one-half pint of cream (whipped) ; 
then partly fill paper cases with the mixture. Smooth over the 
tops. Set the cases in the freezer well dried, and allow them to 
harden until ready to serve. 

Biscuit Glaces (Francatelli). 

Ingredients : One pint of clarified sirup, twelve yolks of eggs, 
two whole eggs, a large wine-glassful of maraschino. 

Mix the whole of the ingredients in an earthen basin ; then 
pour the preparation into an egg-bowl that has been previous- 
ly warmed with hot water and wiped dry. Whisk the sou^e 
briskly (the egg bowl being placed on a stove containing hot 
ashes) until it resembles a well-prepared, firm, sponge-cake bat- 
ter. Fill the paper cases with the preparation, and smooth 
over the tops. Place them in a tin pail or in the freezer, sur- 
rounded with ice and salt, and half a pound of saltpetre mixed, 
and let them remain well covered for three or four hours at 
least, before serving, without stirring them. Or, they may be 
frozen all together in one mold, and some sifted macaroon pow- 
der or grated chocolate sprinkled over the surface, to imitate a 
baked souffle. 

Nesselrode Pudding (Careme^s Receipt). 

Ingredients : Forty chestnuts, one pound of sugar, flavoring 
of vanilla, one pint of cream, the yolks of twelve eggs, one glass 
of maraschino, one ounce of candied citron, two ounces of cur- 
rants, two ounces of stoned raisins. 

Blanch the chestnuts in boiling water, remove the husks, 
and pound them in a mortar until perfectly smooth, adding a 
few spoonfuls of the sirup ; then rub them through a fine 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 313 



sieve, and mix them in a basin with a pint of sirup, made from 
one pound of sugar, clarified, and flavored with vanilla; one 
pint of cream, and the yolks of twelve eggs. Set this mixture 
over a slow fire, stirring it without ceasing, until the eggs begin 
to thicken (without allowing them to curdle), then take it off. 
When it is cold, put it into the freezer, adding the maraschino, 
and make the mixture set ; then add the sliced citron, the cur- 
rants, and stoned raisins (these two latter should be soaked the 
day previous in maraschino, and sugar pounded with vanilla) to 
the whole. Thus mingled, add a plateful of whipped cream, 
mixed with the whites of three eggs beaten to a froth. When 
the pudding is perfectly frozen, put it into a mold, close the 
lid, place it again in the freezer, well surrounded with pounded 
ice and saltpetre, and let it remain until the time of serving, 
when turn it out of the mold. 

Iced Pudding. 

Ingredients: One and one-half pints of custard, composed 
of the yolks of four eggs, a pint of boiled milk, four table- 
spoonfuls of sugar, a flavoring of vanilla, eight ounces of fruits, 
consisting of equal parts of dried cherries, pine -apple, dried 
pears, or apricots, all cut into very small squares. These fruits 
may be selected, or perhaps it would be more convenient to 
purchase half a pound of the French preserved dried fruits ; or 
add one ounce of candied citron sliced, two ounces of currants, 
two ounces of stoned and chopped raisins, and half a pint of 
cream whipped. 

Freeze the custard in the usual manner, then mix in the 
fruits and whipped cream. A gill of maraschino is an improve- 
ment to this pudding, but may be omitted. If added, it should 
be at the same time with the fruit. Put into a mold, and place 
it on ice and salt. Serve whipped cream around it. 

TuTTi Frutti. 

AATien a rich vanilla cream is partly frozen, candied cherries, 

English currants, chopped raisins, chopped citron, or any other 

candied fruits chopped rather fine, are added ; add about the 

same quantity of fruit as there is of ice cream. Mold and im- 

14 



314 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



bed in ice and salt. It may be served surrounded with a whip- 
ped cream. 

Fresh Peaches Half Frozen. 
An exceedingly nice dish for breakfast, lunch, or tea may be 
made of quarters of large fresh peaches, half frozen, and then 
sprinkled with granulated sugar. 

Peaches and Cream Frozen. 
Peel and quarter the fresh peaches; mix them with sugar 
and cream to taste. Arrange some of the quarters of the 
peaches tastefully in the bottom of a basin, or charlotte mold, 
then fill, and freeze the mass solid, without stirring. Turn it 
out to serve. 

Lemon Ice. 

Boil three pints of water and one quart of loaf-sugar until 
reduced to nearly one quart of liquid, skimming it when neces- 
sary. When cold, add the juice of seven lemons, and the thin- 
sliced yellow part of the rind of four of them. Let it infuse 
an hour. Strain it into the freezer without pressing. When 
beginning to set in the freezer, stir in lightly and well the 
beaten whites of four eggs. Put into a mold, and return it to 
a fresh relay of salt and ice. Or it may be frozen and served 
in the lemon-skins. A neat slice is taken off the top of the 
lemon. The juice, etc., is carefully removed. When the prep- 
aration is set in the freezer, the skins are filled, the tops fitted 
over, and all imbedded in the ice. I once saw at one of Del- 
monico's dinners a course of these lemons (one for each per- 
son) filled with Roman punch. 

Currant Ice. 
Boil one quart of water and a pound of sugar until reduced 
about a pint — i. e., until a pint of water has boiled away ; skim 
it, take it off the fire, and add a pint of currant -juice; when 
partly frozen, stir in the beaten whites of four eggs. Mold, and 
freeze again. A good ice for fever patients. 



rHACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 315 



COOKERY FOR THE SICK. 

I BELIEVE it is the general practice now to give a patient, in 
almost every kind of illness, food that is very nourishing, yet 
very digestible, that the system may become strengthened to 
throw ofE its disease. 

I devote a chapter to " cookery for the sick," as it is such a 
useful and delightful accomplishment to know just how to pre- 
pare the few available dishes for invalids, so that while they 
may be most suitable food for the recovery of the patient, they 
may at the same time be most agreeable to the taste and pleas- 
ing to the eye. 

The three events of the day to the sufferer are the three 
meals. How gratefully is it remembered if they have been 
delicately and carefully administered! Let the mother or the 
wife prepare them with her own hands ; let her never ask an 
invalid what he will have to eat, but with thought and ingenu- 
ity strive to vary the bill of fare each day, always providing 
proper nourishment. This is an art in itself which can be dele- 
gated to no one. It is worth as much to the suffering and be- 
loved patient as is the medical prescription of the physician. 

Never leave an article of diet in the sick-room : it is a good 
means of destroying the appetite, which should be encouraged 
and not weakened. 

Whatever is served, let great attention be paid to giving the 
dish, after it is properly cooked, a dainty appearance. Place it 
on the choicest of ware in the house, with the cleanest of nap- 
kins, and the brightest of silver, even if that consists only of a 
tea-spoon. 

If tea and toast be served, put the tea, freshly drawn, into the 
daintiest of tea-cups. Every family might well afford to buy 
one little, thin china cup and saucer, to use in case of illness ; 
put a square of loaf-sugar into it. A few drops of cream are 
easily saved for the patient's tea from a small quantity of milk ; 
and cream in small quantities is considered more digestible than 
milk. 

All cooks think they can make toast. There is about one 
person in ten thousand who really does know how to make it ; 



316 FBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

who actually appreciates the difference between a thin, symmet- 
rical, well-yellowed, crisp piece of toast with the crust cut off, 
and just from the fire, and a thick, unshapely slice, unevenly 
crisped on the outside, and of doughy softness in the centre. 
One is digestible; the other is exceedingly indigestible. The 
scientific mode of making toast is explained on page 67. 

Of the laxative articles of diet, undoubtedly one of the most 
important is the oatmeal porridge. The chemists say, " Oat- 
meal stands before all other grains in point of nutritive pow- 
er." I do not mean to serve gruel, but a thicker preparation, 
of considerable consistence, which is more palatable. The mode 
of making it 'is explained on page 74. Put a heaping table- 
spoonful of this on a thin saucer; pour some cream over it; 
then sprinkle over this a little granulated sugar. Now place 
the saucer on a little salver, on which is spread the whitest of 
napkins. 

Always remember that in cooking any of the grains, as, for 
instance, corn -meal, oatmeal, hominy, cracked - wheat, etc., let 
them be thrown into salted boiling water. This makes very 
great difference in the flavor of the dish. Make every thing in 
small quantities, so that the patient may always have his dishes 
freshly made. 

A very nourishing, digestible, and excellent dish for invalids 
is a raw, fresh Qgg, the receipt for administering which is given 
among the invalid receipts (see page 322). 

In regard to rice, Dr. Lee remarks : " We regard rice as the 
most valuable of all the articles of food in cases of the derange- 
ment of the digestive organs. It nourishes, while it soothes the 
irritable mucous membrane ; and while it supports strength, 
never seems to aggravate the existing disease. For acute or 
chronic affections of the alimentary canal, rice-water for drink 
and rice -jelly for food seem peculiarly well adapted, and ap- 
pear to exert a specific influence in bringing about a recovery. 
These preparations are invaluable also in convalescence from 
acute fevers and other maladies, and in the summer complaints 
of young children." 

Jellies made with gelatine or calf's feet are very appetizing, 
but must not be relied on as furnishing much nourishment. 



PHAOTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 317 

They afford a pleasant vehicle for administering wine, of which 
the stimulating properties are often very advantageous. I copy 
a short article from Booth's " Chemistry " on the subject : 

" Gelatine in domestic economy is used in the forms of soup 
and jelly as an aliment ; but though experiments seem to show 
that when mixed with fibrous, albuminous, and caseous sub- 
stances it becomes nutritive, this conclusion is yet doubtful; 
for the theory of respiration proves that histrose, which pro- 
duces the gelatine, has accomplished its part in the animal or- 
ganization, and can no longer afford sustenance thereto. One 
fact, however, seems positive, and that is its inability alone to 
yield nourishment to carnivorous animals. The feeble nutritive 
power of a gelatinous matter seems to be owing to the destruc- 
tion of its organization." 

On the same subject of the dietetical value of gelatine, Pro- 
fessor Youmans says : " It is regarded as a product of the par- 
tial decomposition of albuminous bodies in the system, but as 
incapable of replacing them when taken as aliment. The French 
attempted to feed the inmates of their hospitals on gelatinous 
extract of bones. Murmurs arose, and a commission, with Ma- 
gendie at their head, was appointed to investigate the matter. 
They reported gelatine as, dietetically, almost worthless." 

Graham bread, corn bread, or the Boston brown-bread, made 
with part rye flour, are much more nourishing than breads 
made from bolted wheat. The whiter the wheat flour, the 
more starch it contains, and the less gluten, which is separated 
in bolting, and which is the nutritious or flesh-producing por- 
tion. The rich Boston brown-bread is especially good cut into 
thin, even pieces, with a little cream poured over it. 

The value of corn-meal for invalids who are thin and incapa- 
ble of maintaining their natural warmth is scarcely appreciated. 
Indian-corn contains a large percentage of oil, which is nourish- 
ing and fattening. Fat is the heat-producing power. 

As to the meats, it seems to me a mistake that that from the 
ox, with his wholesome food, cleanly habits, sweet breath, and 
clear eye, is not the most wholesome and digestible of aliments. 
No meat is so tender and juicy as the cut from the tenderloin 
or the porter-house steak. 



318 FRACTICAL COOKINO, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Pork should be avoided in every form by invalids. 

I can not but believe that rare -cooked, tender beef is the 
most valuable dish in the culinary repertoire for invalids ; yet 
Dr. Beaumont, after experimenting with St. Martin, ranks veni- 
son, when tender and in season, as the most digestible and as- 
similable of meats. He classes mutton second ; then beef. 
Lamb is less digestible than mutton. Veal should be avoided 
as well as pork. Fatty substances are also difficult of assimila- 
tion. Poultry is less digestible than beef. Then, again, the 
manner of cooking beef has a great influence on its digesti- 
bility. The best modes are broiling and roasting. Potatoes 
roasted or baked are digested an hour sooner than potatoes 
boiled. 

Before beginning the receipts for especial dishes, I will copy 
a little story, which furnishes an illustration that the simplest 
modes of cooking are, after all, the most satisfactory. 

" The Vicomte de Vaudreuil, when appointed charge d'af- 
faires of France to the Court of St. James's, brought over with 
him a young cook, an eleve of the highest schools of the cui- 
sines of Paris. This young culinary aspirant to fame, shortly 
after his arrival in London, obtained permission of his master 
to go and witness the artistic operations of that established 
cordon -hleu^ Monsieur Mingay, the cook to Prince Esterhazy, 
who had been brought up under the Prince Talleyrand's fa- 
mous chef Louis, and previously under that most hleu of all 
cordons, the great Careme. On the eleve'' s return, the Vicomte, 
hearino- that his cook was in a state of astonishment from some- 
thing he had witnessed in Prince Esterhazy's kitchen, summon- 
ed him to his presence, and said, ' What is this culinary mira- 
cle, which I have heard astonishes you, and casts into the shade 
all other triumphs of the art V Vatel's follower replied, ' Oh, 
Monsieur le Vicomte, when I entered the cuisine at Chandos 
House it was near the time of the prince's luncheon, for which 
his excellency had ordered something which should be very 
simple and easily digestible, as he was suffering from languor. 
The chef Mingay, accordingly cut from under a well -hung 
rump of beef three slices of fillet, and rapidly broiling them, 
he placed the choicest-looking in the middle of a hot dish, and 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND BINNER GIVING. 319 

afterward pressing the juice completely out of the remaining 
two. he poured it on the first ! Oh, monsieur, how great the 
prince ! how great the cook !' " 

RECEIPTS FOR THE SICK-ROOM. 
Tea. 

Tea is best, made fresh in the sick-room. A little tete-a-tete 
china service is a pretty ornament for a bedroom, and it is a 
convenient and tasteful arrangement for serving tea to invalids. 
If one has no little tea-pot like that belonging to the service 
here referred to, a small one of any other kind is desirable. 

Put two tea-spoonfuls of tea-leaves into the small tea-pot; 
pour two tea-cupf uls of boiling water over it ; cover it closely, 
and let it steam for a few moments. 

With a small table at the side of the invalid's bed, it is a de- 
cidedly pleasant little diversion to make tea in this manner, be- 
ing sure at the same time that it is perfectly fresh. However 
it is made though, do not present a cupful of tea to a sufferer 
with a part of the tea spilled into the saucer. 



To avoid having fat left in the soups, it is safer to allow 
them to get entirely cold, when the fat can be easily skimmed 
off. Just enough can be heated each time the soup is served. 

Beef Tea, or Essence of Beef. 

Cut, say, a pound of perfectly lean beef into small pieces, 
put them into a wide-mouthed bottle (a pickle -bottle answers 
the purpose), cork it tightly, and place it in a pot of cold wa- 
ter in which there is a saucer at the bottom. Heat it gradu- 
ally, then let it boil slowly for two or three hours, when all 
the juice will be drawn out of the meat. 

Now pour off the juice, season it with salt carefully, as it re- 
quires very little. When it is cold, skim off all the globules of fat. 

This is an invaluable aliment for invalids who are very ill, or 
for weak infants, when they need much nourishment in small 
compass. This beef tea can then be given by the tea-spoonful 
at regular intervals, administering it as medicine. 



320 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Another Beef Tea {for Convalescents). 
Soak three-quarters of a pound of small -cut pieces of lean 
steak (say a cut from a round steak) in a pint of cold rain-wa- 
ter for half an hour, squeezing the beef occasionally ; then put 
it on the fire, cover it, and boil it slowly for ten minutes, re- 
moving the scum. Season with salt, and serve hot. Serve 
Albert biscuit, or thin wafers (see page 72), with it. The ad- 
dition of a little boiled rice makes a pleasant change. 

Beef Juice. 
Choose a thick cut of fine, fresh, juicy steak without fat. 
Broil it over the coals for only a minute, or long enough to 
merely heat it throughout. Put it over a warm bowl set in 
a basin of hot water ; cut it in many places, and squeeze out 
all the juice with the aid of the meat -squeezer (see page 56). 
Salt it very slightly. It should be served immediately, freed 
from every atom of fat, and accompanied with a wafer cracker. 

Chicken Broth. 
Cut up a fowl, and crack the bones. Put it into three pints 
of cold water. Boil it slowly, closely covered, for three or 
four hours, or until the meat falls in pieces. Strain it, then 
add two table-spoonfuls of rice which has been soaked for half 
an hour in a very little warm water, also a chopped sprig of 
parsley, if you have it. Simmer it for twenty minutes longer, 
or until the rice is thoroughly cooked. Season with salt and 
pepper, but not too highly. Serve with crackers, which should 
be broken into the broth the last minute. 

Chicken Custard. 
Ingredients : One half -pint of chicken broth, beaten yolks of 
three eggs, a little salt. Mix well, and cook it in the custard- 
kettle (as for boiled custard) until it has thickened. Serve in 
custard-cups. 

Chicken Panada. 
Roast a small chicken, and take out the breasts, or use more 
of the meat if preferred, and add a little salt ; chop it as fine 



PEACTIGAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 321 

as possible, pound it, and pass it througli a colander. Soak 
half the amount of the crumb of French rolls, or good bread 
(not too fresh), in tepid milk ; squeeze it nearly dry, and mix it 
with the chicken. Thin it with a little strong chicken broth 
(which may be made with the remainder of the chicken) or 
with boiling water. Serve it in a custard-cup, to be eaten with 
a spoon. For convalescents, a very little finely minced parsley 
may be added. 

Mold of Chicken Jelly. 
Cut half a raw chicken into small pieces, and break the 
bones ; put it on the fire with a quart of cold water. Boil it 
slowly until it is reduced to less than half ; season with salt and 
a little pepper, if the invalid is not too ill for pepper. Strain it 
first through a colander, then a jelly-bag, into a mold or a bowl. 
If the chicken is quite tender, broil carefully the breast of the 
other half of it ; cut it into dice, or put it whole into the mold 
or bowl, and cover it with the liquid. When the jelly has hard- 
ened, scrape off the layer of fat at the top of the mold before 
turning the jelly on a little oval platter. 

Chicken and Ceylon Moss. 
Cut a small fowl (two pounds) into small pieces, and put it 
over the fire with three pints of cold water, four ounces of Cey- 
lon moss (which can be obtained at the drug-stores), and half a 
tea-spoonful of salt. Boil all together an hour ; then strain it 
through a jelly-strainer or napkin into little cups or molds. 

Mutton Broth 
may be made in the same manner as chicken broth, allowing a 
quart of cold water to each pound of meat. 

Veal and Sago Broth {Marian Harland). 
Ingredients : Two pounds of knuckle of veal cracked to 
pieces, two quarts of cold water, three table - spoonfuls of best 
pearl sago soaked in a cupful of cold water, one cupful of cream 
heated to boiling, and the yolks of two eggs beaten light. 
Boil the veal and water in a covered saucepan very slowly 
14* 



332 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 

until reduced to one quart of liquid ; strain, season with salt, 
and stir in the soaked sago (having previously warmed it by- 
setting for half an hour in a saucepan of boiling water, and 
stirring from time to time). Simmer half an hour, taking care 
it does not burn ; beat in the cream and eggs. Give one good 
boil up, and turn out. 

Beef and Tapioca Broth. 

Soak one pound of beef, cut into pieces, in a quart of cold 
water for half an hour ; then boil it slowly, keeping it closely 
covered for two hours. Strain it. The last half hour, add half 
a cupful of tapioca (which has been soaked an hour in a little 
water), a small sprig of parsley, and a thin cut from an onion. 
When done, remove the parsley and onion ; season with a very 
little pepper and salt, and two or three drops only of lemon- 
juice. When just ready to serve, put into the soup an egg, 
carefully poached in salted water, the white being merely set. 

If patients are not too ill, any kind of beef soup made from 
stock, as explained on page 80, ought to be advantageous. 

How TO Prepare an Uncooked Egg. 

This is a delicate, strengthening, and valuable preparation for 
an invalid. 

Beat well the yolk and a tea-spoonful of sugar in a goblet ; 
then stir in one or two tea-spoonfuls of brandy, sherry, or port 
wine. Add to this mixture the white of the egg beaten to a 
stiff froth. Stir all well together. It should quite fill the gob- 
let. If wine is not desired, flavor the egg with nutmeg. It is 
very palatable without any flavoring at all. 

Tapioca Jelly. 

Ingredients : One cupful of tapioca, four cupfuls of water, 
juice and a little of the grated rind of one lemon, and sugar to 
taste. 

Soak the tapioca for four or five hours in the water. Sweet- 
en it, and set it in a pan of boiling water to cook an hour, or 
until it is thoroughly done and quite clear, stirring it frequent- 
ly. When nearly cooked, stir in the lemon ; and when done, 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 323 

pour it into little molds. Serve with cream sweetened and fla- 
vored. 

Sea-moss Blanc-mange. 

Wash the moss well, and soak it for half an hour or more in 
a little cold water. To half an ounce or a handful of moss al- 
low one quart of water, or rather of rich milk, if the patient 
can take milk. When the water or milk is boiling, add the 
soaked sea -moss, and sugar to taste. Let them simmer until 
the moss is entirely dissolved. Strain the juice into cups or 
little molds. Many boil a stick of cinnamon with the water or 
milk, and flavor also with wine ; but the simple flavor of the 
sea-moss is very pleasant. It may be served with a little cream 
and sugar poured over it. 

Arrowroot Jelly or Blanc-mange. 
Add two heaping tea -spoonfuls of best arrowroot, rubbed 
smooth with a little cold water, to a coffee -cupful of boiling 
water or rich milk which has been sweetened with two tea- 
spoonfuls of sugar. Stir and boil it until it has thickened. 
It may be flavored with lemon -juice if made with water, or 
with brandy or wine if made with milk. It is very nice with- 
out flavoring. Pour into a cup or little mold. Serve with cream 
and sugar poured over, or with a compote of fruit around it. 

Corn-starch and Rice Puddings 
are explained among the regular receipts for puddings. Little 
circular molds come in form of Fig. A, on page 59. It is a pret- 
ty form for any of these puddings or blanc - manges, with a 
compote of apples, peaches, plums, or any other kind of fruit, 
in the centre. 

Rice Jelly. 
Mix enough water to two heaping tea-spoonfuls of rice flour 
to make a thin paste ; then add to it a coffee-cupful of boiling 
water. Sweeten to taste with loaf-sugar. Boil it until it is 
transparent. Flavor by boiling with it a stick of cinnamon if 
the jelly is intended for a patient with summer complaint ; or 
add, instead, several drops of lemon-juice if intended for a pa- 
tient with fever. Mold it. 



334 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Vanilla should never be used for flavoring any dish for an 
invalid. Homeopathic books can never say enough about its 
poisonous effects on even healthy and robust persons. 

Rice-water for Drink 
is made in the same way, in the proportion of a table-spoonful 
of rice flour to a quart of boiling water. 

Jelly and Ice {for Fever Patients). 
Break ice into small pieces about as large as a pea ; mix with 
it about the same quantity of lemon jelly, also cut into little 
pieces. This is very refreshing. 

Parched Rice. 
Parch rice to a nice brown, as you would coffee. Throw it 
into a little boiling salted water, and boil it until it is thorough- 
ly done. Do not stir it more than necessary, on account of 
breaking the grains. Serve with cream and sugar. 

Milk Porridge. 

Put a dozen raisins into two cupfuls of milk. Bring it to 
a boil ; then add a heaping tea-spoonful of flour rubbed to a 
paste with a little cold water or milk; boil it three or four 
minutes. The raisins may not be eaten, yet they give a pleas- 
ant flavor to the milk ; in fact, they may be taken out if the 
dish is intended for a child. 

For a change, the well-beaten white of an ^gg may be stirred 
into this preparation just after it is taken from the fire, and, 
again, the raisins may be left out, and the porridge simply 
flavored with salt or sugar, or sugar and nutmeg. 

Beef Sandwich. 
Scrape very fine two or three table-spoonfuls of fresh, juicy, 
tender ^ uncooked beef ; season it slightly with pepper and salt ; 
spread it between two thin slices of slightly buttered bread; 
cut it neatly into little diamonds about two an4 a half inches 
long and an inch wide. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 325 

Prepared Flour for Summer Complaints [Mrs. Horace 
Mann). 

Tie up a pint of flour very tightly in a cloth, and put it into 
boiling water, and let it boil three hours. When untied, the 
o-luten of the flour will be found in a mass on the outside of 
the ball. Remove this, and the inside will prove a dry powder 
which is very astringent. Grate this, and wet a portion of it 
in cold milk. Boil a pint of milk, and when it is at the boil- 
ing-point stir in as much of the wet mixture as will thicken it 
to the quality of palatable porridge. Stir in a little salt, and 
let this be the article of diet until the disease is removed. Re- 
lieve it at first by toasted bread, or a mutton broth, which lat- 
ter is also astringent. If the disease has not progressed to the 
degree of inflammation, this diet will generally preclude all need 
of medicine. 

The author would also add, for a change fef diet, well-boiled 
rice with a little cream, parched rice, beef juice, toasted water 
or milk crackers, a little tea (avoiding generally too much 
liquid), and a little wild-cherry brandy ; or to Mrs. Mann's flour 
porridge, when cooked, and just taken hot from the fire, the 
well-beaten white of an e^g might be added ; and, after stirring 
them well together, the preparation should be served immedi- 
ately. 

Milk Toast. 

Toast one or two thin slices of bread with the crust cut off ; 
if there are two slices, have them of equal size. When still hot, 
spread evenly over them a very little fresh butter, and sprinkle 
over some salt. Now pour over a small tea-cupful of boiling 
milk, thickened with half a tea-spoonful of flour, and salted to 
taste. K the invalid can not take milk, the toast may be moist- 
ened with boiling water. Serve immediately. It is a very 
appetizing dish, when fresh made and hot. 

Panada. 

Sprinkle a little salt or sugar between two large Boston, 
soda, or Graham crackers, or hard pilot-biscuit ; put them into 
a bowl ; pour over just enough boiling water to soak them well ; 



326 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

put the bowl into a vessel of boiling water, and let it remain fif- 
teen or twenty minutes, until the crackers are quite clear and 
like a jelly, but not broken. Then lift them carefully, without 
breaking, into a hot saucer. Sprinkle on more sugar or salt if 
desired : a few spoonfuls of sweet, thick cream poured over are 
a good addition for a change. Never make more than enough 
for the patient at one time, as they are very palatable when 
freshly made, and quite insipid if served cold. 

Toasted bread cut into thin even slices may be served in the 
same way. This is also a good baby diet. 

A panada may be made by adding an ounce of grated bread 
or rolled crackers to half a pint of boiling water, slightly salt- 
ed, and allowing it to boil three or four minutes. It may be 
sweetened, and flavored with wine or nutmeg, or both ; or the 
sugar and nutmeg may be simply sprinkled over. 

Ash-cake. 
Wet corn -meal, salted to taste, with enough cold water to 
make a soft dough, and let it stand half an hour or longer; 
mold it into an oblong cake, about an inch and a half or two 
inches thick. A clean spot should then be swept on the hot 
hearth, the bread placed on it, and covered with hot wood- 
ashes. The bread is thus steamed before it is baked. It should 
be done in a half to three-quarters of an hour, and brushed and 
wiped before eaten. There is no better food than this for dys- 
peptics inclined to acidity of the stomach, on account of the al- 
kaline properties of the ashes left in the crust. In other ex- 
treme cases of dyspepsia where acids are required, I have heard 
of cures being effected by the use of buttermilk. 

Milk Punch. 
Sweeten a glass of milk to taste, and add one or two table- 
spoonfuls of best brandy. Grate a little nutmeg over the top. 

Egg-and-milk Punch. 
Stir well a heaping tea-spoonful of sugar, and the yolk of an 
egg together in a goblet, then add a table - spoonful of best 
brand V. Fill the glass with milk until it is three-quarters full, 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 327 

then stir well into the mixture the white of the ^gg beaten to 
a stiff froth. The receipt for "Eggnog" among the "Bever- 
ages " is similar to this, and better, of course, as whipped cream 
is substituted for milk. 

Herb Teas 
are made by pouring boiling water over one or two tea-spoon- 
fuls of the herbs, then, after covering well the cup or bowl, al- 
lowing it to steep for several minutes by the side of the fire. 
The tea is sweetened to taste. Camomile tea is quite invalua- 
ble for nervousness and sleeplessness ; calamus tea, for infants' 
colic; cinnamon tea, for hemorrhages; watermelon - seed tea, 
for strangury. 

BoNESET FOR A CouGH OR CoLD {Mrs. General Simpson). 
Pour one and one-half pints of boiling water on a ten-cent 
package of boneset. Let it steep at the side of the fire for ten 
or fifteen minutes, when strain it. Sweeten it with two and a 
half coffee -cupfuls of loaf-sugar, then add one half -pint of 
Jamaica rum; bottle it. A child should take a tea-spoonful 
before each meal ; a grown person, a sherry-glassful. 

Botanic Cough Sirup. 

This book is not a medical treatise, yet I can not resist the 
temptation to add the following receipt, given me by Mrs. 

H , of Buffalo. Many cases of long and aggravated cough 

have been entirely cured by its use. If the patient has a tend- 
ency to vertigo, the bloodroot may be omitted from the receipt ; 
but for pale persons of weak vitality it will be found a valuable 
addition. 

Ingredients : Elecampane, one ounce ; spikenard, one ounce ; 
cumfrey root, one ounce; bloodroot, one ounce; hoarhound 
tops, one ounce. 

Add two quarts of water to these herbs, and steep them five 
hours in a porcelain or new tin vessel ; add more boiling water, 
as it boils away, to keep the vessel as full as at first. At the 
end of this time, strain the liquid, add one pound of loaf-sugar, 
and boil it until it is reduced to one quart. 



328 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Dose. — A dessert - spoonful before each meal and before re- 
tiring. It should be kept in a cool place ; or a little spirits 
may be added to prevent its spoiling. 

ARRANGEMENT OF DISHES FOR INVALIDS. 
Beefsteak. 

Cut out the tender part of the beef from a porter-house or 
a tenderloin steak. The slice from these steaks, if large, can 
be cut in two, as it is sufficient for two meals for an invalid. 
Let it be three-quarters of an inch thick ; trim or press it into 
shape (it should be oval in form). Broil it carefully over a hot 
fire, cooking it rare : the inside should be pink, not raw. To 
cook it evenly without burning, turn it two or three times, but 
do not pierce it with a fork nor squeeze it. It does not re- 
quire over two minutes to finish it. Do not put pepper and 
salt over it until it is cooked, as salt rubbed on fresh meat con- 
tracts the fibres and toughens it. However, as soon as it is 
cooked and placed on a little hot oval platter, sprinkle salt and 
pepper over it ; then, placing a small piece of fresh butter on 
the top, set it into the oven a minute to allow the butter to soak 
into the meat : it only requires a small piece of butter. Beef- 
steak swimming in butter is unwholesome, and as slovenly as it 
is wasteful. 

K an invalid can eat beefsteak, he can generally eat some one 
vegetable with it ; and to make the little plump, tender morsel 
of beef look more tempting, garnish it with the vegetable. 
If with potatoes, bake one or two equal -sized potatoes to a 
turn. When quite hot, remove the inside ; mash it perfectly 
smooth, season it with butter, or, what is better, cream and salt, 
and press it through a colander. It will look like vermicelli. 
Place it in a circle around the steak. 

If with pease, when they are out of season, the French can- 
ned pease or the American brand of " Triumph " pease will be 
found almost as good. One can, if kept well covered, should 
furnish three or four meals for an invalid. Merely heat them, 
adding a little salt and butter. Do not use much, if any, of the 
juice in making a circle of them around the beef. 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 329 

If you garnish with tomatoes, make them into a sauce, as fol- 
lows : After cooking and seasoning them with salt and pepper, 
turn off the watery part, add a little stock, if you have it (how- 
ever, it is nice without it, if the word stock frightens any body), 
and press it through the sieve. Pour it around the steak. 

If with Lima beans, cook them as in receipt (see page 201) 
with parsley. Lima beans, as well as string-beans, green corn, 
and onions, should not be trusted, in severe cases of illness. A 
few water -cresses around a steak would not be injurious to a 
convalescent. 

Mutton-chop. 

Scrape the bone, and trim the chop into good shape ; this 
adds much to the appearance, and requires but little time for 
one chop. Rub a little butter on both sides, and broil it care- 
fully, having it well done ; season it as explained for beefsteak. 
It can be garnished in the same way. 

Breast of Chicken. 
Choose a tender chicken, and cut out the breast ; season it, 
rub a little butter around it, and throw it on a fire of live coals 
which is not too hot. Watch it constantly, turning it around 
to cook evenly on all sides. If skillfully done, the surface will 
be very little charred, and the inside meat will be more tender 
and juicy than if cooked in any other way. Cut off such parts 
as may be much crisped. Season with butter, pepper, and salt. 
Form the breast into a cutlet, with the leg, as described on 
page 175. Rub it with butter, and broil it carefully on the 
gridiron. Garnish it with rice steamed with rich milk. It is 
especially nice with tomato-sauce. 

Chicken Boiled. 

The second joint of a leg of chicken thrown into a little 

salted boiling water, or into stock, makes a delicious dish, with 

a chicken-sauce (see page 123) poured over it. I think this 

second joint is more tender, and has more flavor, than the breast. 

Venison Steak. 
A tender cut from a venison steak should be broiled the 



330 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



same as a beefsteak. It is nice with maslied potatoes {a la 
neige), or a currant-jelly, or a tomato-sauce around it. 

To Prepare a Bird. 
I remember tbe effects of a quail so well, eaten when very ill, 
that I have a decided disinclination to mention the word "bird" 
in association with " invalid dishes " at all. But there is a dif- 
ference in the tenderness of birds, of course ; and, then, a bird 
need not be swallowed whole, if one should be ever so hungry. 
If a bird is to be served, be sure that it is a tender one. Broil 
it carefully, or cook it whole in this manner: Put it into a 
close-covered vessel holding a little boiling water, and place it 
over a very hot fire ; steam it for a few minutes ; then brown 
it in the oven, basting it very frequently. Serve a tomato, cur- 
rant-jelly, or wine sauce around it. 

INVALID'S BILLS OF FARE. 
{When a laxative diet is not objectionable.) 

Breakfast. 
Oatmeal porridge. A poached egg on toast. 

Dinner {at half-past twelve o'clock). 

Beefsteak and mashed baked potatoes ; toasted Graham crackers. 

Dessert: Sea-moss blanc-mange. 

Tea. 

Boston brown-bread cut into slices, with cream poured over. 

A baked apple. 

Breakfast. 
Hominy grits ; a mutton-chop, with tomato-sauce. 

Dinner. 
A chicken broth, quite thick with rice, and some pieces of chicken in it. 

Wafers. 
Dessert : A raw egg, arranged as in receipt on page 322, with sherry wine. 

Tea. 

Milk-toast. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING . 331 



Breakfast. 

Oatmeal porridge. The second joint of a leg of chicken cooked on tho 

coals and served with pease around it. 

Dinner. 

Beef broth, thick with tapioca. Graham wafers. 

Dessert: Boiled parched rice, with cream. 

Tea. 

Corn-meal mush, with cream and sugar. 



PREPARED FOODS FOR INYALIDS, ETC. 

I am indebted to Dr. Franklin, of St. Louis, for tliis little 
chapter. Appreciating his experience in the uses of prepared 
foods for invalids, I asked his advice about certain ones, when 
he kindly sent me a written opinion, which I insert verbatim. 
Dr. Franklin says : 

" In the dietetic treatment of the sick, notwithstanding that well-mean- 
ing and unwise friends often injure their patients by solicitations to take 
more food, it is often one of the great difficulties to induce the invalid to 
partake sufficiently of what is suitable, remembering that the body is nour- 
ished by the assimilation of the food, and that the assimilating power is 
weak, and can not be overtaxed. But the desire of food, and, indeed, the 
assimilation, depend in a considerable degree on the manner in which it is 
presented. It should not only please the eye and gratify the palate, but 
should be varied in kind and method of preparation. 

'"'■ Liebig^s Extract of Meat is an economical and valuable preparation. 
It is valuable in nearly all cases of physical debility and extreme emacia- 
tion, especially after profuse losses of blood in collapse from wounds ; for 
patients suffering from severe and prolonged fevers in the last stage of 
consumption; in bad cases of indigestion, when the stomach rejects all 
solid food ; and as an article of diet for nursing-mothers, etc. 

" In cases of extreme exhaustion, the extract may be mixed with wine. 
As it is stimulating, it may take the place of tea and coffee, and will be 
less liable than they to produce derangement of the digestive organs. An 
advantage with this extract is that it can be readily prepared, 

" Valeyitine's Extract of Meat. — This is one of the best articles of the 
kind for the sick - chamber, and is not only simple of preparation, but is 
the most nutritive of all the beef essences. As a medicinal agent, it will 



333 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

be found of great value to the sick, and for persons (children as well) 
with weak constitutions.* 

" These beverages, in common with any nutritive soups, offer to the pa- 
tient whose general bodily functions are more or less suspended a fluid 
and assimilable form of food. It is to this adaptation of nourishment to 
the condition of the body that we must, in part at least, ascribe their ben- 
eficial results. They have a remarkable power of restoring the vigorous 
action of the heart, and dissipating the sense of exhaustion following se- 
vere, prolonged exertion, and may be recommended in preference to the 
glass of wine which some take after watching, preaching, prolonged men- 
tal effort, etc. 

"Rice (whole or ground), barley, etc., may often be advantageously 
added to thicken beef tea. 

^^ onion's Essence of Chicken. — A similar preparation may be more 
readily made by using this essence of chicken, which may be procured 
from any homeopathic chemist. This simply requires diluting with hot 
water in the proportion stated upon each tin case. 

" Oatmeal Porridge. — When properly made, this is both wholesome and 
nutritious, and especially suitable when a patient does not suffer from wa- 
ter-brash, acidity, or from any form of bowel irritation. It has long been 
the staple food of the Scotch, and produces good muscular fibre and strong 
bone. It is a very nourishing diet for growing children. The common 
oatmeal is not equal to the Scotch oatmeal ; however, it is not always easy 
to obtain the latter. 

^^ Pearl Barley forms an excellent meal. It should be boiled for four 
hours, so tied in a cloth that room is left for the grain to swell. Only so 
much water should be added from time to time as to feed the barley and 
supply the waste of evaporation, lest the strength of the barley should be 
boiled out. It may be served with milk, or (if the patient can digest 
them) with preserves, jelly, or butter. 

^''Macaroni-pudding. — Three ounces of macaroni should be soaked for 
forty minutes in cold water, then added to a pint of boiling milk. This 
should be stirred occasionally, while it simmers for half an hour; two 
eggs are then added, beaten with a dessert-spoonful of sugar ; also, if de- 
sired, a flavoring of lemon. This may then be baked in a pie-dish for 
twenty minutes. 

" VermicelH may be used instead of macaroni, but requires only twenty 
minutes' soaking. 

" Part of a loaf of stale bread, boiled, and served with butter and salt, 



* Dr. Franklin admits that Valentine's extract is more nutritive than 
that of Liebig. I have heard other physicians say that they considered 
the Valentine much preferable to the Liebig extract, abandoning the use 
of the latter for the former. — Ed. 



PRACTICAL COOKINO, AND DINNER GIVING. 333 

or with preserves, affords a change of wholesome food. Bread - pudding 
made with eggs and milk, either boiled or baked, may be used, made ac- 
cording to the receipt used at Westminster Hospital, viz. : Bread, one- 
quarter of a pound ; milk, one-quarter of a pint ; sugar, one-quarter of an 
ounce ; flour, one-quarter of an ounce ; one egg for every two pounds. A 
pudding may be made in the same way of stale sponge-cake or rusks, to 
diversify the diet. 

^'■Neave's Food. — Many years' experience in the use of Neave's Farina- 
ceous Food justifies the recommendation of it as an excellent article of 
diet for infants, invalids, and persons of feeble digestion. Competent 
chemical analysts have found the preparation to contain every constituent 
necessary for the nourishment of the body, and this has been abundantly 
confirmed by what we have frequently observed as the result of its use. 
For infants it should be prepared according to the direction supphed with 
the food, taking care not to make it too thick ; it also makes a very agree- 
able and highly nutritious gruel. 

" One precaution is necessary : Neave's food should be obtained fresh 
and in good condition ; if exposed too long, it deteriorates. Under favor- 
able circumstances it keeps good for from six to twelve months. It may 
generally be procured in good condition from the leading homeopathic 
druggists. 

" Ridge's, Hard's, and other farinaceous foods have their advantages, 
and are preferred by some patients. 

"Those foods that are pure starch, as 'corn flour,' so called, and all 
those which thicken in like manner, contain but a small proportion of nu- 
triment, being less sustaining and also more difficult of digestion than or- 
dinary stale bread. They are very unsuitable for young infants and chil- 
dren suffering from diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, flatulence, atrophy, 
or aphthse. 

" In all cases, food which contains traces of bran, and also gluten, gum, 
sugar, cellulose, and saline matter, especially the phosphates, in proportion 
to the starch, are to be preferred. I prefer the Ridge's food for nursing 
infants, but either may be used according to adaptability. 

" Sugar of Milk. — A preparation of cow's milk and sugar of milk forms 
a still lighter food, and one which, in the case of very young infants, should 
be used to the exclusion of farinaceous food. Cow's milk may be assimi- 
lated to human milk by dilution with water and the addition of sugar of 
milk. Cow's milk contains more oil (cream) and caseine, or cheese mat- 
ter, but less sugar, than woman's. When necessary to bring up a child by 
hand from birth, sugar of milk is more suitable to begin with. 

" Formula : One ounce of sugar of milk should be dissolved in three- 
quarters of a pint of boiling water, and mixed as required with an equal 
quantity of fresh cow's milk. The infant should be fed with this from 
the feeding-bottle in the usual way. Care must be taken to keep the bot- 
tle, etc., perfectly clean. 



334 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

^'■Alkershrepta (Chocolate). — One of the most delicate and nutritious 
beverages is made from this preparation of the cocoa. It is prepared 
from the best cocoa-bean, the highly nutritious natural oil of which is not 
extracted, as in the ordinary soluble chocolates, but so neutralized as not 
to derange the stomach of the most delicate. Its nutritious and mildly 
stimulating qualities, its purity, and the facility with which it is prepared 
for use — not requiring to be boiled — recommend it as an excellent substi- 
tute for tea and coffee. Directions for its preparation accompany each 



" Delacre's Extract of Meat Chocolate. — This agreeable article combines 
in one preparation, and under a most agreeable form, a large proportion 
of tonic and nutritive principles. It contains both the properties of choc- 
olate and beef. It is a useful tonic and nutritive agent for invalids and 
convalescents, and for persons of delicate constitutions. It contains three 
per cent, of La Plata Extract of Meat, and every square represents the nu- 
tritive constituents of one and a quarter ounces of beef. It is employed 
as ordinary chocolate. Full directions accompany each box. 

'■'Welluc's Biscotine. — A most excellent, healthy, and invigorating food 
for infants and invalids. It is prepared from sweetened bread and other 
nutritious substances, reduced to a fine powder, so as to render them easily 
soluble in water or milk. As an article of common diet for infants, par- 
ticularly those suffering from delicate constitutions or with looseness of 
the bowels, it will be found to give health and strength with more certain- 
ty than the crvde substances now in use, and not, like them, liable to sour 
on the stomach." 



SOME DISHES FOR "BABY." 

No particular diet can be recommended for the infant that 
is so unfortunate as to be deprived of its natural nourishment. 
What agrees with one is quite unsuccessful with another. Dif- 
ferent kinds of diet can only be tested. Children's little ill- 
nesses are often the result of food which, in their case, is unas- 
similating and indigestible ; and it is often better to attempt a 
change of food than to resort to medicines. 

City babies generally thrive poorly with cow's milk. Some 
can stand it, however, diluting it with a third water, adding a 
slight thickening of rice, well boiled and mashed, and also a lit- 
tle sugar. Others thrive well on goat's milk, when no other 
kind will answer. The Borden condensed milk serves like a 
charm with very young infants in cold weather ; but in warm 



FRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 335 

weather its excessive sweetness seems to cause acidification 
when taken. In New York, where it may be obtained fresh, 
without sweetening, I have heard that it is more satisfactory. 

Some babies are ruddy and strong with an oatmeal diet 
(oatmeal porridge strained and mixed with the milk). I have 
already mentioned this as especially successful in Ireland and 
Scotland. However, in the warm climate of many of our cities 
in summer I have known the oatmeal diet to cause eruptions 
or boils. It is almost a crime to undertake to bring up chil- 
dren artificially in warm summer climates. Many a heart-ache 
is caused when, failing to supply the natural food, nothing would 
seem to agree with the baby. 

Pap. 

Put a little butter into a saucepan for the purpose of keep- 
ing the mixture from sticking. When it is hot, pour in a thin 
batter of milk and flour, a little salted ; stir well, and boil gen- 
tly about five minutes ; then add a little sugar. If the child is 
over three months old, an egg may be mixed in the batter for 
a change. 

Wheat-flour and Corn-meal Gruel. 
Tie wheat flour and corn meal (three-quarters wheat flour 
and one-quarter corn meal) into a thick cotton cloth, and boil 
it three or four hours. Dry the lump, and grate it as you use 
it. Put on the fire cream and water (one part cream to six 
parts water), and when it comes to a boil, stir in some of the 
grated lump, rubbed to a smooth paste with a little water. 
Salt it slightly. Judgment must be used as to the amount of 
thickening. For a young infant, the preparation should be 
thin enough to be taken in the bottle ; if the child is older, it 
may be thicker. If the child is troubled with constipation, the 
proportion of corn meal should be larger ; if with summer com- 
plaint, it may be left out altogether. 

Roasted Rice 

boiled and mashed is a good infant diet in case of summer 
complaint. 



336 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Corn-meal Gruel 
is undoubtedly the best relaxing diet for infants, and may be 
used instead of medicine. 

FOOD FOR INFANTS WITH WEAK DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 
Oatmeal Gruel {Dr. Rice, of Colorado), No. 1. 
Add one tea-cupful of oatmeal to two quarts of boiling wa- 
ter, slightly salted ; let this cook for two hours and a half, 
then strain it through a sieve. When cold, add to one gill 
of the gruel one gill of thin cream and one tea -spoonful of 
sugar. To this quantity add one pint of boiling water, and 
it is ready for use. 

Beef {Dr. Rice), No. 2. 
Scrape one-half pound of beef, and remove all the shreds ; 
add one-half pint of water, and three drops of muriatic acid. 
Let it stand one hour ; then strain it through a sieve, and add 
a small portion of salt. 



HOW TO SERVE FRUITS. 

The French deserve much praise for their taste in arranging 
fruits for the table. They almost invariably serve them with 
leaves, even resorting to artificial ones in winter. 

In the following arrangements, I have some of their dainty 
dishes in mind. 

Strawberries. 
The French serve large fine strawberries without being hull- 
ed. Pulverized sugar is passed, the strawberry is taken by the 
thumb and finger by the hull, dipped into the sugar, and eaten. 
The Wilson strawberry, however, which seems to be our princi- 
pal market strawberry, certainly requires stemming, and delu- 
ging with sugar before serving. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



337 




Mixed Fruits. 
Always choose a raised dish for 
fruits. Arrange part of the chisters 
of grapes to fall gracefully over the 
edge of the dish. Mix any kind of 
pretty green leaves or vines, which may 
also fall, and wind around the stem of 
the dish. Although the colors of the 
fruits should blend harmoniously, and 
the general appearance should be fresh 
and neglige^ arrange them firmly, so 
that when the dish is moved there will 
be no danger of an avalanche. 

Water-melons. 

A water-melon should be thoroughly chilled; it should be 

kept on the ice until about to 
be served. It may be simply 
cut in two, with a slice cut 
from the convex ends, to ena- 
ble the halves to stand firmly 
on the platter. When thus 
cut, the pulp is scooped out 
in egg-shaped pieces with a 
table-spoon and served ; or it 
may be cut as shown in fig- 
ure, when slices with the rind attached may be served. 

Cantaloupe Melons. 
Put it into the refrigerator 
until just before serving, to 
become thoroughly chilled ; 
cut it as in figure here given, 
removing the seeds. Arrange 
four or five grape leaves on 
a platter, upon which place 
the melon. 






PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



Currants. 
Serve currants in rows of red and white, 
with a border of leaves around the outside, 
as shown in annexed cut. 

Currants or Other Fruits Iced. 
Beat the white of an egg barely enough 
to break it. Dip in selected bunches of 
fine currants, and while moist roll them in pulverized sugar. 
Place them on a sieve to dry. This makes a refreshing break- 
fast dish. 

Plums, cherries, grapes, or any other fruit may be iced in the 
same way. 

How THEY EAT OrANGES IN HaVANA. 

A fork is pierced partly through the centre of an orange, 
entering it from the stem side; the fork serves for a handle, 
which is held in the left hand, while with a sharp knife the 
peel and thin skin are cut off in strips from the top of the 
orange to the fork handle ; now, holding it in the right hand, 
the orange can be eaten, leaving all the fibrous pulp on the 
fork. 

Fresh Peaches. 
Choose large, fresh, ripe, and juicy peaches ; pare, and cut 
them into two or three pieces. They should be large, luscious- 
looking pieces, not little chipped affairs. Sprinkle over granula- 
ted sugar, put them into the freezer, and half freeze them ; this 
will require about an hour, as they are more difficult to freeze 
than cream. Do not take them from the freezer until the 
moment of serving, when sprinkle over a little more sugar. 
Serve in a glass dish. Canned peaches may be treated in the 
same manner. 

Pine-apples. 
When pine-apples are picked and eaten fresh in their own 
climate, they seem to dissolve in the mouth, and the fibrous 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 



339 



texture is hardly perceived. Not so at 
our tables. Here I have sometimes part- 
ly resolved that they are not much of a 
luxury after all, especially when the slices 
are so tough as to require the knife and 
fork. They are better cut into dice, satu- 
rated with sugar, and piled in the centre 
of a glass dish, with a row a la Charlotte 
of sponge-cake slices, or of ladies'-fingers 
around the sides. 




BEVERAGES. 
Punch {Mrs. Williams). 

Rub loaf-sugar over the peels of six lemons to break the 
little vessels and absorb the ambrosial oil of the lemons. Then 
squeeze out all the juir^e possible from six oranges and six lem- 
ons, removing the seeds ; add to it five pounds of loaf-sugar 
(including the sugar rubbed over the peels) and two quarts of 
water, with five cloves and two blades of mace (in a bag) ; sim- 
mer this over the stove about ten minutes, making a sirup. 

This sirup will keep forever. It should be bottled and kept 
to sweeten the liquors, whenever punch is to be made. 

Mix then one pint of green tea, a scant pint of brandy, 
one quart of Jamaica rum, one quart of Champagne, and one 
tea -cupful of Chartreuse. When well mixed, sweeten it to 
taste with the sirup ; pour it into the punch-bowl, in which is 
placed an eight or ten pound piece of ice. Slice three oranges 
and three lemons, removing the seeds, which put also into the 
punch-bowl. 

Milk Punch {Mrs. Filley). 

Ingredients: Four quarts of Jamaica rum, three quarts of 
water, five pints of boiling milk, three pounds of loaf-sugar, 
twenty-four lemons, two nutmegs. 

Cut thin slices, or only the yellow part of the rinds of the 
twenty-four lemons. Let these thin parings and the two grated 



340 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

nutmegs infuse for twenty-four hours in one quart of the rum. 
It should be put in a warm place. 

At the end of the twenty-four hours, add to the juice of the 
twenty -four lemons (freed from seeds) the water, sugar, rum, 
and also the rum containing the lemon-peel and nutmeg. Put 
all into a large vessel. When the sugar is dissolved, add the five 
pints of boiling milk while the mixture is being stirred all the 
time. It will curdle, of course. Then cover it, and let it stand 
still one hour, when filter it through a bag, until it is as clear 
and bright as a crystal. It may take three or four hours. 
Pale rum should be used. This quantity will make enough to 
fill about one dozen quart bottles. Cork them well, and keep 
them standing. It may be used at once, but it will not be in 
perfection until it is a year or two old. It will keep forever. 
The bag may be made three-cornered with a yard square of 
rather coarse Canton flannel. 

This punch is nice to serve with mock -turtle soup, or it 
may be used for making Roman punch. Like sherry, it is a 
convenient beverage to offer, with cake, to a lady friend at 
any time. 

Roman Punch. 

Make or purchase lemon ice. Just before serving, put 
enough for one person at table into a saucer or punch-glass, 
and pour over two table - spoonfuls of the milk punch, made 
as in the last receipt. A course of Roman punch is often 
served at dinner parties just after the roast. There is no bet- 
ter, cheaper, or easier way of preparing it than this. 

Claret Punch. 

Cut up the yellow part of one lemon, and let it soak for 
three or four hours in half of a quart bottle of claret ; add then 
the other half of the wine. Sweeten to taste, and add one bot- 
tle of soda. Put a clove into each glass before pouring out the 
punch. 

Eggnog. 

Ingredients : Six eggs, half a pound of sugar, half a pint of 
brandy or whisky, three pints of cream whipped to a froth. 

Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar together until it is 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 341 

a froth ; add the brandy or whisky, next the whites of the eggs 
beaten to a stiff froth, and then the whipped cream. 

Sherry, Claret, or Catawba Cobblers. 
Put four or five table-spoonfuls of the wine into a glass with 
half a table - spoonful of sugar ; one or two thin slices of or- 
ange or lemon may be added. Fill the glass with finely chop- 
ped ice. Now pour this from one glass to another once or 
twice, to mix well. Put then two or three strawberries, or a lit- 
tle of any of the fruit of the season, for a garnish. The bever- 
age can not be completed without the addition of two straws. 

Lemonade. 
Rub loaf-sugar over the peels of the lemons to absorb the 
oil; add to the lemon -juice the sugar to taste. Two lemons 
will make three glassfuls of lemonade, the remainder of the in- 
gredients being water and plenty of ice chopped fine. 

Tom and Jerry. 

Ingredients : Four eggs and six large spoonfuls of powdered 
sugar beaten together very light (a perfect froth), six small 
wine-glassfuls of rum, and one pint of boiling water. 

Stir the water into the mixture, and then turn it back and 
forth into two pitchers, the pitchers being hot, and the glasses 
also hot. Grate nutmeg on the top of each glass, and drink 

immediately. 

Mint-julep. 

Bruise several tender sprigs of fresh mint in a tea-spoonful 
of sugar dissolved in a few table-spoonfuls of water. Fill the 
glass to one-third with brandy, claret, sherry, or any wine pre- 
ferred, and the rest with finely pounded ice. Insert some sprigs 
of mint with the stems downw^ard, so that the leaves above are 
in the shape of a bouquet. Drink through a straw. 

Milk Punch and Egg-and-milk Punch (see page 326), 

Blackberry Cordial. 
Ingredients : Two quarts of blackberry juice, two pounds of 



343 FItAVTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER OIVINO. 

loaf-sugar, half an ounce of powdered cinnamon, half an ounce 
of powdered allspice, half an ounce of powdered nutmeg, quar- 
ter of an ounce of powdered cloves. 

Boil it all together two hours. Add, while hot, one pint of 
fourth-proof pure French brandy. Bottle it. 

Currant Wine. 
To two quarts of the currant -juice (after the currants are 
pressed) add one quart of water and three and a half pounds 
of sugar. Let it stand in an open jar until it stops ferment- 
ing ; then draw it off carefully, bottle, and cork it securely. 

Raspberry Vinegar {Miss Nellie Walworth). 

Pour one quart of vinegar over three quarts of ripe black 
raspberries in a china vessel. Let it stand twenty-four hours, 
then strain it. Pour the liquor over three quarts of fresh rasp- 
berries, and let it infuse again for a day and night ; strain again, 
and add one pound of white sugar to each pint of juice. Boil 
twenty minutes, skimming it well. Bottle when cold. When 
it is to be drunk, add one part of the raspberry vinegar to four 
parts of ice water. 



SUITABLE COMBINATION OF DISHES. 

There are dishes which seem especially adapted to be served 
together. This should be a matter of some study. Of course, 
very few would serve cheese with fish, yet general combinations 
are often very carelessly considered. 

Soup. 
Soup is generally served alone ; however, pickles and crack- 
ers are a pleasant accompaniment for oyster -soup, and many 
serve grated cheese with macaroni and vermicelli soups. A 
pea or bean soup (without bread croutons) at one end of the 
table, with a neat square piece of boiled pork on a platter at 
the other end, is sometimes seen. When a ladleful of the soup 
is put in the soup-plate by the hostess, the butler passes it to 
the host, who cuts off a thin wafer-slice of the pork, and places 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 343 

it in the soup. The thin pork can be cut with the spoon. Hot 
boiled rice is served with gumbo soup. Well-boiled rice, with 
each grain distinct, is served in a dish by the side of the soup- 
tureen. The hostess first puts a ladleful of soup into the soup- 
plate, then a spoonful of the rice in the centre. This is much 
better than cooking the rice with the soup. 

Sometimes little squares (two inches square) of thin slices of 
brown bread (buttered) are served with soup at handsome din- 
ners. It is a French custom. Cold slaw may be served at the 
same time with soup, and eaten with the soup or just after the 
soup-plates are removed. 

Fish. 
The only vegetable to be served with fish is the plain boiled 
potato. It may be cut into little round balls an inch in diam- 
eter, and served in little piles as a garnish around the fish, or 
it may be the flaky, full -sized potato, served in another dish. 
Some stuff a fish with seasoned mashed potatoes, then serve 
around it little cakes of mashed potatoes, rolled in egg and 
bread-crumbs and fried. Cucumbers, and sometimes noodles, 
are served with fish. 

Beef. 

Almost any vegetable may be served with beef. If potato 
is not served with fish, it generally accompanies the beef, either 
as a bed of smooth mashed potatoes around the beef, or a la 
neige, or as fried potato -balls (a la Parisienne), or, in fact, 
cooked in any of the myriad different ways. At dinner com- 
panies, beef is generally served with a mushroom-sauce. How- 
ever, as any and all vegetables are suitable for beef, it is only 
a matter of convenience which to choose. Horse-radish is a 
favorite beef accompaniment. 

Corned Beep 

should be served with carrots, turnips, parsnips, cabbage, or 
pickles around it. 

Turkeys. 
Cranberry-sauce, or some acid jelly, such as currant or plum 



344 PMACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

jelly, should be served with turkey. Many garnish a turkey 
with sausages made of pork or beef. Any vegetable may be 
served with a turkey ; perhaps onions, cold slaw, turnips, toma- 
toes, and potatoes are the ones oftenest selected. 

Chickens. 
Fried chickens with cream dressing are good served with 
cauliflower on the same dish, with the same sauce poured over 
both. A boiled chicken is generally served in a bed of boiled 
rice. A row of baked tomatoes is a pretty garnish around a 
roast chicken. It is fashionable to serve salads with chickens. 

Lamb 
is especially nice served with green pease or with spinach ; cau- 
liflowers and asparagus are also favorite accompaniments. 

Pork. 
The unquestionable combination for pork is fried apples, ap- 
ple-sauce, sweet - potatoes, tomatoes, or Irish potatoes. Pork 
sausages should invariably be served with apple-sauce or fried 
apples. Thin slices of breakfast bacon make a savory garnish 
for beefsteak. Thin slices of pork, egged and bread-crumbed, 
fried, and placed on slices of fried mush, make a nice breakfast 
dish ; or it may garnish fried chickens, beefsteak, or breaded 
chops. 

Mutton. 

The same vegetables mentioned as suitable for lamb are ap- 
propriate for mutton. The English often serve salad with mut- 
ton. 

Veal. 

Any vegetable may be served as well with veal as with beef. 
I would select, however, tomatoes, parsnips, or oyster-plant. 

Roast Goose, 
apple-sauce, and turnips especially. 

Game. 
Game should invariably be served with an acid jelly, such as 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 345 

a currant or a plum jelly. Saratoga potatoes, potatoes a la 
Parisienne, spinacli, tomatoes, and salads, are especially suitable 
for game. 

Cheese 

is served just before the dessert. It is English to serve celery 
or cucumbers with it. Thin milk crackers or wafer biscuits 
(put into the oven just a moment before serving, to make them 
crisp) should be served with cheese ; butter also for spreading 
the crackers, this being the only time that it is usually allowed 
for dinner. Macaroni with cheese, Welsh rare-bits, cheese ome- 
lets, or little cheese-cakes, are good substitutes for a cheese 
course. 

Sweet-breads. 
Sweet-breads and pease — this is the combination seen at al- 
most every dinner company. They are as nice, however, with 
tomatoes, cauliflowers, macaroni mixed with tomato -sauce or 
cheese, or with asparagus or succotash. 

Roman Punch 
is generally served as a course just after the beef. It is a re- 
freshing arrangement, preparing one for the game which comes 
after. In England, punch is served with soup, especially with 
turtle or mock -turtle. One often sees Roman punch served 
as a first course just before the soup. 

Cantaloupe Melons 
are served just after the soup at dinner. This is especially 
French ; however, this melon is more of a breakfast than a din- 
ner dish. The water-melon is served the same time as fruit at 
dinner. 



SERVING OF WINES. 

At dinners of great pretension, from eight to twelve differ- 
ent kinds of wines are sometimes served. This is rather osten- 
tatious than elegant. In my judgment, neither elegance nor 
good taste is displayed in such excess. Four different kinds of 
wine are quite enough for the grandest occasions imaginable, if 

15* 



346 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

they are only of the choicest selection. Indeed, for most oc- 
casions, a single wine — a choice claret or Champagne — is quite 
sufficient. In fact, let no one hesitate about giving dinners 
without any wine at all. Proper respect for conscientious scru- 
ples about serving wine would forbid a criticism as to the pro- 
priety of serving any dinner without it. Such dinners are in 
quite as good taste, and will be just as well appreciated by sen- 
sible people ; and it makes very little difference whether people 
who are not sensible are pleased or not. 

If three wines are served, let them be a choice sherry with 
the soup, claret with the first course after the fish, and Cham- 
pagne with the roast. If a fourth is desired, there is no bet- 
ter selection than a Chateau Yquem, to be served with an en- 
tree. If Champagne alone is used, serve it just after the fish. 
Many serve claret during the entire dinner, it matters not how 
many other varieties may be served; others do the same with 
Champagne — for the benefit of the ladies, they say. I believe, 
however, Champagne is considered with more disfavor every 
day. In England, punch is served with turtle or mock -turtle 
soup. A receipt may be found for one of their best punches 
(see page 339). I consider it, however, a decided mistake to 
serve so strong a beverage, especially at the beginning of a din- 
ner. A fine ale is often served with the cheese - and - cracker 
course at family dinners, when wine is not served. 

As a rule, I would say that the white wines, Sauterne, Rhine, 
etc., are served with raw oysters, or just before the soup ; sher- 
ry or Madeira, with the soup or fish; Champagne, with the 
meat ; claret, or any other of the red wines, with the game. 
Many prefer claret just after the fish, as it is a light wine, and 
can be drunk instead of water. If still another wine is added 
for the dessert, it is some superior sherry, port. Burgundy, or 
any fine wine. Very small glasses of liqueurs^ such as maras- 
chino and curagoa, are sometimes served at the end of a din- 
ner after coffee. 

In France, coffee {cafe noir) is served after the fruit at din- 
ner, a plan which should be generally followed at dinner parties 
at least. It is always well to serve cream and sugar with cof- 
fee, as many prefer it. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 3i7 



Proper Temperature in which Wines should be Served. 

Sherry should be served thoroughly chilled. 

Madeira should be neither warm nor cold, but of about the 
same temperature as the room. 

Claret should be served at the same temperature as Madeira, 
never with ice ; it should remain about forty-eight hours stand- 
ing, then decanted, care being observed that no sediment enter 
the decanter. 

Champagne should either be kept on ice for several hours 
previous to serving, or it should be half frozen ; it is then called 
Champagne frappe. It is frozen with some difficulty. The 
ice should be pounded quite fine, then an equal amount of salt 
mixed with it. A quart bottle of Champagne well surrounded 
by this mixture should be frozen in two hours, or, rather, frozen 
to the degree when it may be poured from the bottle. 

Treatment of Wines. 

Connoisseurs on the subject of wine say much depends upon 
its treatment before it is served ; that it is invariably much im- 
paired in flavor through ignorance of proper treatment in the 
cellar ; and that a wine of ordinary grade will be more palata- 
ble than one of better quality less carefully managed. They 
say wine should never be allowed to remain in case, but un- 
packed, and laid on its side. Above all, wine should be stored 
where it is least exposed to the changes of temperature. 

All red wines should be kept dry and warm, especially clar- 
ets, which are more easily injured by cold than by heat. Con- 
sequently, on account of the rigor of our winters, clarets are 
better stored in a closet on the second floor (not too near a 
register) than in a cellar. Champagnes and Rhine wines stand 
cold better than heat, which frequently causes fermentation. 
The warmer sherry, Madeira, and all spirits are kept, the better. 

Choice of Brands. 
Champagne. — Perhaps the choicest brands of Champagne 
are Pommery (dry, supposed to mean less sweet), Giesler 
(sweet), Veuve Cliquot (sweet), and Roederer (sweet). The 



348 PBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

best of the cheaper Champagnes are Charles Roederer, Heid- 
sick, Montebello, and Krug. 

Claret. — Choicest brands: Chateaux La Rose, Chateau La 
Tour, Chateau Lafitte, or Chateau Margeaux. Best cheaper 
brand, St. Julien. 

Sauterne. — Best : Chateau Yquem, La Tour Blanche. Best 
cheaper, Haut-Sauterne. 

Burgundy. — Best brands : Clos Yougeot, Chambertin, Cha- 
blis, and Red Hermitage. 

Sherry. — Best brand, Amontillado. 

Hock. — Best brands : Steinberg Cabinet and Marcobrunner. 
Best sparkling wine, Hochheimer. 

The American dry wines are most excellent, and might be 
more patronized by those who know no other wine than that 
of foreign manufacture. The Missouri Catawba and Concord 
wines are especially good ; so are some of the California wines. 
The Ohio Catawba is quite noted. 

BiLL-OF-FARE TaBLE. 

Bills of fare can be easily made by selecting more or less 
dishes, and serving them in the order indicated in the table. 
The dishes are to be garnished as explained in receipts. 

1st Course. — Raw oysters, little clams, Roman punch, 

2d Course. — Soup {potages) : any kind of soup or soups. 

3d Course. — Hors-d'oeuvres (cold) : sardines, pickled oysters, cucumbers, 
radishes, preserved herrings, anchovies, cold slaw. These dishes are 
considered as appetizers, and are served just after the soup. It is a 
French custom. Melons are served as a course after soup also. 

4th Course. — Fish {poissons) ; any kind of fish or shell-fish, 

5th Course. — .Hors-d'oeuvres (hot). The hot hors-d'oeuvres are the light 
entrees, such as croquettes, all kinds of hot vols-au-vent, or patties (not 
sweet ones, however), sweet-breads, brains, etc. 

6th Course. — Releves : the releves or removes, are the substantial dishes. 
Roast joints, i. e., of beef, veal, lamb, mutton, or venison, roast or boiled 
turkeys or chickens, fillet of beef, braised meats, ham, sometimes game. 

7th Course. — Roman punch. 

8th Course. — Entrees : cutlets, all kinds of vols - au - vent, or patties (not 
sweet); sweet-breads, fricassees, scollops, casseroles, poultry or game 
en coquille, croquettes, salmis, blanquettes ; any of the meats, or game 
made into side-dishes. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 349 



9th Course. — Entremets : dressed vegetables served alone, such as cauli- 
flower, asparagus, artichokes, corn, spinach, boiled celery, string-beans 
{haricots verts), or French pease on toast, etc., macaroni, dressed eggs, 
fritters. 

10th Course. — Rotis : game of any kind. 

11th Course.— Salade : any kind of salad; a plain salad is often served 
with the game. 

12th Course. — Cheese, macaroni dressed with cheese, cheese omelet, 
cheese-cakes ; cheese and salad are often served together. 

13th Course. — Entremets, sweet: any kind of puddings, jelUes, sweet frit- 
ters, sweet pastries, creams, charlottes, etc. 

14th Course. — Glaces : any thing iced ; ice-creams, water ices, frozen pud- 
dings, biscuits glaces, etc. 

15th Course, — Dessert: fruit, nuts and raisins, candied fruits, bonbons, 
cakes, etc. 

16th Course. — Coffee, and little cakes, or biscuits (crackers). 



TO PREPARE COMPANY DINNERS. 

It is very simple to prepare a dinner served a la Eusse, as 
it matters little how many courses there may be. If it were 
necessary to prepare many dishes, and to have them all hot, 
and in perfection at the same minute, and then be obliged to 
serve them nearly all together, the task might be considered 
rather formidable and confusing. But with one or two assist- 
ants, and with time between each course to prepare the suc- 
ceeding one, after a very little practice it becomes a mere 
amusement. 

The soup, or the stock for the soup, and the dessert, should 
be made the day before the dinner. 

A bill of fare should be written, and pinned up in the kitch- 
en. Every thing should be prepared that is possible in the 
early part of the day ; then, after the fish, chickens, birds, etc., 
are dressed and larded (if necessary), they should be put aside, 
near the ice. If sweet-breads are to be served, they should be 
larded, parboiled, and put away also. The salad (if lettuce) 
should be sprinkled with water (not placed in water), and put 
in a cool, dark place in a basket, not to be touched until the 
last three minutes. 



350 FBACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

The plates and platters for each course should be counted, 
examined, and placed on a table by themselves. However, the 
arrangement of the dishes was explained in the chapter on set- 
ting the table. 

After this, the kitchen should be put in order, and the tables 
cleared of all unnecessary things. Then every thing need- 
ed for the courses to be cooked should be placed in separate 
groups at the back of a large table, so that there may be no 
confusion or loss of any thing at the last minute. If there are 
sweet-breads, have them egged and bread-crumbed ; if pease are 
to be served with them, place them in a basin at their side, 
properly seasoned. If there is macaroni with cheese, have the 
proper quantity desired already broken on a dish, with a plate 
of grated cheese and a tin cup, with the necessary amount of 
butter to be melted, side by side. If there is a fillet of beef to 
be baked and served with a mushroom-sauce, have the fillet in 
the baking -pan already larded, the mushrooms in the basin in 
which they are to be cooked, at the side ; also the piece of lemon 
and the spoonful of flour ready. The stock will be in the kettle 
at the back of the stove. By-the-way, in giving a fine dinner, 
there should always be an extra stock-pot, separate from the 
soup, at the back of the stove, as it is excellent for boiling the 
sweet-breads or the macaroni, and making the sauces, etc. 

If a simple salad of lettuce is to be served, have the oil, vine- 
gar, pepper and salt, and the spoonful of finely chopped onion, 
in a group all ready. If a Mayonnaise dressing is to be served, 
that should be made in the morning. 

Look at the clock in the kitchen, and calculate the time it 
will take each dish to cook, and put it to the fire, so that it will 
be finished " to a turn " just at the proper minute. 

During dinner, one person should attend to placing out of 
the way all the dishes brought from the dining-room, and, if 
necessary, should wash any spoons, platters, etc., which may be 
needed a second time. She should know beforehand, however, 
just what she is to wash, as every one must know exactly her 
own business, so that no questions need be asked at the last 
moment. The cook can attend to nothing but the cooking, at 
the risk of neglecting this most important part. 



PM ACTIO AL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 351 



As the course just before tlie salad is sent into the dining- 
room, begin to make the salad, having every thing all ready. 
First, pick over the lettuce-leaves, wash and leave them to drain, 
while you prepare the dressing. It should just be ready when 
its turn comes to be sent to table. 

If the dinner company is very large, and there are many 
dishes, the cooking of them may be distributed between two 
persons, and perhaps the second cook may use the laundry 
stove ; but with a little practice and the one or two assistants, 
one cook can easily prepare the most elaborate dinner, if it is 
only properly managed before the time of cooking. She should, 
of course, never attempt any dish she has not made before. A 
bain-marie is very convenient for preserving cooked dishes, if 
there is some delay in serving the dinner. 

Of all things, never on any occasion serve a large joint or 
large article of any kind on a little platter, as nothing looks so 
awkward. Let the platter always be at least a third larger than 
the size of its contents. 

I give several bills of fare. They are long enough and good 
enough for any dinner party. Guests do not care for better 
or more, if these are only properly cooked. They can be easily 
prepared in one's own house, and this is always more elegant 
than to have a list of a hundred dishes from a restaurant. 

A Winter Dinner. 

Oysters on the half -shell. 

Amber soup. 

Salmon; sauce Hollandaise. 

Sweet-breads and pease. 

Lamb-chops ; tomato-sauce. 

Fillet of beef, with mushrooms. 

Roast quails ; Saratoga potatoes. 

Salad: lettuce. 

Cheese ; celery ; wafers. 

Charlotte-russe, with French bottled strawberries around it. 

Chocolate Fruit Ice-cream. 

Fruit. 

Coffee. 

The same bill of fare in French is as follows : 



y53 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER 01 VINO. 



Menu. 

Huitres. 

Consomme de boeuf clair, 

Saumon ; sauce Hollandaise. 

Ris de veau aux petits pois, 

Cotelettes d'agneau k la pur6e de tomate. 

Filet de boeuf aux champignons. 

Cailles grillees aux pommes de terre. 

Salade. 

Fromage; celeri. 

Charlotte-russe aux fraises. 

Plum-pudding glace. 

Fruits. 

Cafe. 

This is a bill of fare seen very often at dinner parties. It 
is not difficult to prepare, as there are only five of the courses 
which are necessarily prepared at dinner-time. The oyster 
course is very simple, and may be placed on the table before the 
guests enter the dining-room. This soup may be made the day 
before, and only reheated at the time of serving. The Saratoga 
potatoes may be made in the morning; and if the charlotte- 
russe is not purchased at a restaurant, it may be made the day 
before. So, after the quails are broiled or roasted, the cook has 
nothing more to do but to make the salad, which is an affair of 
three minutes, and the coffee, for which she has a long time, 
the coffee having been ground and in readiness in the coffee- 
pot two or three hours before dinner. The four last courses 
before the coffee are easily purchased outside. The cheese 
might be a Neufchatel or a Roquefort. The charlotte and the 
ice-cream can come from the confectioner's. The fruit is on 
the table during the dinner as one of the decorations. 

Dinner Bill of Fare. 

Roman punch. 

Giblet soup. 

Little vols-au-vent of oysters. 

Smelts ; tomato-sauce. 

Scolloped chickens {en coquille) ; Bechamel sauce. 

Saddle of venison ; potatoes a la neige. 
Breasts of quails in cutlets, with French pease. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 353 

Salad of lettuce. 

Cheese omelet. 

Pine-apple Bavarian cream. 

Vanilla ice-cream, and ginger preserve ; little cakes. 

Fruits. 

Coffee. 

Menu. 

Punch a la Romaine. 

Bouchees d'huitres. 

Les eperlans frits ; sauce tomate. 

Coquilles de volaille k la Bechamel. 

Sella de venaison a la puree de pommes de terre. 

Filets de cailles aux petits pois. 

Salade de laitue. 

Omelette au fromage. 

Le Bavaroix. 

Glace k la creme de vanille. 

Dessert. 

Cafe. 



Dinner Bill of Fare (Spring). 

Macaroni, clear soup, with grated cheese. 

Salmon; lobster-sauce; cucumbers. 

Chicken croquettes ; tomato-sauce. 

Sweet-breads in cases, or in silver scallop-shells ; sauce Bechamel. 

Fillet of beef, with mushrooms. 

Roman punch. 
Snipe ; potatoes a la Parisienne. 

Mayonnaise of chicken. 

Asparagus, with cream dressing. 

Ramequins. 

Champagne jelly en macedoine, with whipped cream. 

Neapolitan ice-cream ; little cakes. 

Fruits. 

Menu. 

Potage au macaroni clair. 
Saumon aux concombres ; sauce homard. 

Croquettes de volaille ; sauce tomate. 

Ris de veau en papillotes, h la Bechamel. 

Filet de boeuf aux champignons. 



354 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNEH GIVING. 

Punch ^ la Komaine. 

Becasses ; pommes de terre h. la Parisienne. 

Mayonnaise de volaille. 

Asperges k la creme. 

Ramequins. 

Macedoine de fruits. 

Glace de creme a la Napolitaine. 

Dessert. 



Dinner Bill of Fare {Winter). 

Oysters served in block of ice. 

Julienne soup (can purchase it canned). 

Soft-shell crabs. 

Sweet-breads ; tomato-sauce. 

Braised pigeons, with spinach. 

Fillet of beef ; sauce Hollandaise. 

Roman punch, in lemon-skins. 

Fillets of ducks, larded ; poivrade-sauce ; salad of vegetables. 

French canned string - beans {haricots verts) sauted with butter, served on 

toast. 

Macaroni, with cheese. 

Maraschino Bavarian cream. 

Chocolate-pudding, iced. 

Fruits. 

Coffee. 

Menu. 

Huitres. 

Potage k la julienne. 

Ecrevisses frites. 

Ris de veau ; sauce tomate. 

Pigeons k I'ecarlate. 

Filet de boeuf ; sauce Hollandaise. 

Sorbet. 

Filets de canards ; sauce poivrade ; salade de legumes. 

Haricots verts sautes au beurre. 

Macaroni au Parmesan. 

Le Bavaroix au maraschino 

Pouding de chocolat glace. 

Fruits. 

Cafe. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 355 



Dinner Bill of Fare {Winter). 

Mock-turtle soup (can be purchased canned). 

Boiled white-fish, garnished with potatoes au naturel and olives; sauce 

Hollandaise. 

Fried oysters ; cold slaw. 

Casserole of sweet- breads; cream-sauce, decorated around the base with 

green pease. 

Koast wild turkey, chestnut stuffing ; Saratoga potatoes. 

Fried cream. 

Spinach on toast, garnished with hard-boiled eggs. 

Salad ; lettuce, with small, thin diamonds of fried ham. 

Cheese ; wafers ; celery. 

Little cocoa-nut puddings in paper cases. 

Ice-cream and cakes. 

Fruit. 

Coffee. 

Menu. 

Potage h. la tete de veau en tortue, or potage fausse tortue. 

White-fish ; sauce Hollandaise. 

Huitres frites. 

Casserole de ris de veau aux petits pois. 

Dinde sauvage rotie. 

Beignets de bouillie, or creme f rite, 

Epinards aux oeufs. 

Salade. 

Souffle. 

Glace de cr^me au chocolat. 

Fruits. 

Cafe. 



Dinner Bill of Fare {Winter). 

Oysters on half shell. 

Amber soup. 

Fish croquettes (pear-shape), garnished with parsley. 

Rice casserole, filled with blanquette of chicken. 

Roast beef (ribs rolled), with a circle of mashed potatoes k la neige and 

water-cresses. 

Canvas-back ducks ; celery. 

Roman punch. 

Reed-birds cooked in sweet-potatoes. 



)56 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

Poached eggs on anchovy toast. 

Salad. 

Coffee; Bavarian cream. 

Nesselrode pudding. 

Fruits. 

Cafe. 

Menu. 

Huitres. 

Consomme de boeuf clair. 

Croquettes de poisson. 

Blanquette de volaille. 

Boeuf roti k la puree de pommes de terre. 

Canards; celeri. 

Punch k la Romaine. 

(Eufs poches aux croutes d'anchois, 

Salade. 

Bavaroix au cafe. 

Ponding k la Nesselrode. 

Fruits. 

Cafe. 



Dinner Bill of Fare {Summer). 

Clear amber soup. 

Fried cuts of fish, with tomato-sauce. 

Sweet-breads and cauliflowers (cream dressing over both). 

Croquettes of chicken (in form of cutlets), with pease. 

Roast lamb ; caper-sauce ; spinach. 

Green corn served in husks.* 

Sliced tomatoes, with Mayonnaise dressing. 

Cheese; wafers; cucumbers. 

Maraschino Bavarian cream, and fresh strawberries. 

Ice-cream. 

Fruits. 

Menu. 

Consomme de boeuf clair. 

White-fish a I'Orlay. 

Ris de veau aux choux-fleurs. 

* Foreigners consider it vulgar to eat corn from the cob, although quite 
elegant to eat asparagus with their fingers. — Ed. 



PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 357 

Croquettes de volaille aux petits pois. 

Agneau roti aux epinards. 

Mayonnaise de tomate. 

Fromage ; concombres. 

Bavaroix au maraschino. 

Glace de ere me au chocolat. 

Dessert. 

A Simple Dinner for Four Persons {Menu). 

Soup, with fried bread {aux croutons). 

Chicken, with rice (see page 1*7 7). 

Macaroni, with tomato-sauce (see page 210). 

Lettuce, with Mayonnaise dressing. 

Corn-starch pudding (page 275), with a circle of peach marmalade around. 

Necessary — a soup-bone, a soup-bunch, with plenty of pars- 
ley, a large chicken, half a pound of macaroni, a half-pint can 
of tomatoes, three-fourths of a tea-cupful of rice. 

Make the Mayonnaise dressing with three eggs in the morn- 
ing. Use the whites of the eggs for the corn-starch pudding, 
which make at the same time, and put away in a mold to hard- 
en. Also put aside the rice to soak in cold water. 

Five hours before dinner, put on the soup -bone, with the 
neck of the chicken also, as every little adds. An hour before 
dinner, cut up the soup-bunch, saving part of it for the tomato- 
sauce, as one or two sprigs of the parsley and a small onion. 
Put the remaining vegetables (frying the onion) into the soup, 
leaving only a sprig of parsley for the chicken. Cut up the 
pieces of chicken, which fry or saute brown in some hot drip- 
pings ; put them then into a stew-pan. Add to the drippings 
(about a table-spoonful) a tea-spoonful of flour, and, when rub- 
bed smooth, a pint of hot water, a ladleful of the soup taken 
from the soup-kettle, and a sprig of parsley chopped fine. Add 
this now to the fried pieces of chicken in the stew-pan; let 
them simmer until about five minutes before dinner. 

For the soup, cut some bread into rather large dice, say three- 
quarters of an inch square ; fry, or rather saute, them in a lit- 
tle butter, turning all sides of the bread to allow it to become 
brown. Place the dice in the open oven, or at the back of the 
range, to become perfectly dry before the dinner-hour. Half an 



358 PRACTICAL COOKING, AND DINNER GIVING. 

hour before dinner, put the macaroni to boil in another ladleful 
of stock mixed with some salted boiling water. Now make the 
tomato-sauce : make it as in receipt, and place it at the side of 
the fire or in the bain-marie until the macaroni is done. Put 
on the rice to boil for about fifteen minutes in a little salted 
boiling water. 

Just before serving the dinner is the busiest time. Strain 
the macaroni, and mix it with the sauce ; put it into the oven 
for a few minutes to soak. Strain the soup, remove all the 
grease, and season it with pepper and salt. Put the bread dice, 
or croutons, into the soup-tureen, pour over the soup, and send it 
to table. Take out the pieces of chicken, which arrange neatly 
on a warm platter ; strain the stock in which it was boiled, re- 
move all the fat, add the rice to it, season with pepper and salt, 
and let it simmer on the fire until it is time to be served, and 
then pour it over the chickens, and send them into the dining- 
room. The lettuce is next washed and dressed ; afterward the 
pudding is turned from the mold, and decorated with the circle 
of peach marmalade. 



ENGLISH AND FRENCH GLOSSARY. 



ENGLISH AND FEENCH GLOSSAKY. 



SOUPS. 

Amber or clear soup Consomme de boeuf clair. 

Soup, with bread Potage aux croutons. 

Soup, with vegetables Consomme aux legumes. 

Macaroni soup Consomme au macaroni. 

Noodle soup Consomme aux nouilles. 

VermicelU soup Consomme aux vermicelles. 

Spring soup Potage printanier. 

Julienne soup Potage £i la julienne. 

Asparagus soup Potage d'asperge. 

Ox-tail soup Potage aux queues de boeuf. 

Chicken puree Potage k la puree de volaille. 

Chicken soup Consomme de volaille. 

Mock-turtle soup Potage a la fausse tortue. 

Oyster soup Potage aux huitres. 

Bean soup Potage a la puree d'haricots. 

Onion soup Soupe h. I'ognon. 

Vegetable puree Puree de legumes. 

Tomato soup Potage aux tomates. 

( Potage k la puree de pommes de 

Pot^t«^°^P ] terre. 

Sorrel soup Soupe h I'oseille. 



FISH. 

Salmon, sauce HoUandaise Saumon, sauce Hollandaise. 

Salmon, with lobster-sauce Saumon, sauce homard. 

Salmon, with parsley-sauce Saumon, sauce au persil. 

Salmon, with egg-sauce Saumon, sauce aux oeuf s. 

Salmon, with potatoes Saumon aux pommes de terre. 

Slices of salmon Tranches de saumon. 

Middle cut of salmon Tron9on de saumon. 

Salmon cutlets, with pickles Cotelettes de saumon aux cornichons. 

Salmon, with cucumbers Saumon aux concombres. 



360 ENGLISH AND FMENCH GLOSSARY. 

Sardines, broiled Sardines grillees. 

Smelts, fried Eperlans frits. 

Little trout, fried Petites truites f rites. 

Trout, in shells Truite en coquilles. 

Salmon-trout Truite saumonee. 

Trout cooked au court bouillon Truite au court bouillon. 

Codfish, with caper-sauce Morue k la sauce aux capres 

Codfish, with Bechamel sauce Morue k la Bechamel. 

Codfish, with potatoes Morue aux pommes de terre. 

Eels au gratin Gratin d'anguilles. 

Eels en matelote Matelote d'anguilles. 

Fresh mackerel, with maitre-d'hotel 



, ^ Maquereau f rais a la maitre-d'hotel. 



OYSTERS. 

Oysters in shells. . Huitres en coquille. 

Oysters fried Huitres frites. 

Oyster fritters Beignets d'huitres. 

^ . ^ j Petits vol-au-vent d'huitres, ou bou- 

^ ^ i chees d'huitres. 



SAUCES. 

White sauce (made with stock) Sauce k la Bechamel. 

Pickle-sauce Sauce aux cornichons. 

Egg-sauce Sauce aux oeufs. 

Caper-sauce Sauce aux capres. 

Anchovy-sauce Sauce aux anchois. 

Shrimp-sauce Sauce aux crevettes. 

Lobster-sauce Sauce homard. 

Oyster-sauce Sauce aux huitres. 

Parsley-sauce Sauce au persil. 

Cauliflower-sauce Sauce au chou-fleur. 

Madeira- wine sauce Sauce au vin de Madere. 

Currant-jelly sauce Sauce aux groseilles. 

Tomato-sauce Sauce tomate. 

Mushroom-sauce Sauce aux champignons. 



MEATS. 

Roast fillet of beef Filet de boeuf roti. 

Fillet of beef, larded Filet de boeuf pique. 

Fillet of beef, with mushrooms Filet de boeuf aux champignons. 

Braised beef Boeuf braise. 



ENGLISH AND FRENCH GLOSSARY. 361 

Braised beef, with vegetables Boeuf braise k la jardiniere. 

Beef hash Hachis de boeuf. 

Beefsteak, with mushrooms Bif teek aux champignons. 

Beefsteak pie Pate de biftecks. 

A-la-mode beef Boeuf a la mode. 

Pickled tongue Langue de boeuf h, I'ecarlate. 

Mutton tongues Langues de mouton. 

Saddle of mutton (roast) Selle de mouton rotie. 

Shoulder of mutton, stuffed Poitrine de mouton farcie. 

Mutton stew Ragout de mouton. 

Mutton cutlets, broiled Cotelettes de mouton grillees. 

Mutton cutlets, breaded Cotelettes de mouton panees. 

Mutton cutlets, with pease Cotelettes de mouton aux petits pois. 

Sheep's kidneys Rognons de mouton. 

Lamb cutlets Cotelettes d'agneau. 

Lamb croquettes Croquettes d'agneau. 

Veal cutlets, with mushrooms Cotelettes de veau aux champignons. 

Veal cutlets, with tomato-sauce Cotelettes de veau, sauce tomate. 

Fricandeau of veal Fricandeau de veau. 

Liver, broiled Foie de veau grille. 

Pork cutlets, with pickles Cotelettes de pore aux cornichons. 

Cold ham Jambon froid. 

Blanquette of veal Blanquette de veau. 

SWEET-BREADS. 

Sweet-breads, with macaroni Ris de veau h, la Milauaise. 

Sweet-breads, with tomato-sauce Ris de veau k la sauce tomate. 

Sweet-breads, with pease Ris de veau aux petits pois. 

Sweet-breads, larded Ris de veau pique. 

Sweet-bread fritters Beignets de ris de veau. 

Sweet-bread croquettes Croquettes de ris de veau. 

POULTRY AND GAME. 

Stuffed turkey Dinde farcie. 

Larded turkey Dinde piquee. 

Turkey, celery-sauce Dinde, sauce celeri. 

Roast wild turkey Dinde sauvage rotie. 

Boned turkey Galantine de dinde. 

Fricassee of chicken Fricassee de poulet. 

Chicken breasts, with pease Filets de poulet aux petits pois. 

Roast spring chicken Poulets nouveaux rotis. 

Chickens, with tomatoes Poulets aux tomates. 

Chickens, with cauliflowers Poulets aux choux-fleurs. 

16 



ENGLISH AND FRENCH GLOSSARY. 



Chickens, with rice Poulets au ris. 

Fried chickens Poulets sautes. 

Chicken croquettes Croquettes de volaille. 

Wild duck Canard sauvage. 

Pigeon-pie Pate chaud de pigeons. 

Pigeon stew Compote de pigeons. 

Roast pigeons, with string-beans Pigeons rotis aux haricots verts. 

Roast pigeons, with spinach.... Pigeons rotis aux epinards. 

Braised pigeons, with spinach Pigeons k I'ecarlate. 

Grouse Grouse. 

Roast woodcock Becasses roties. 

Roast quails Cailles roties. 

Prairie-chicken, or partridge cutlets.. Cotelettes de perdreux. 

Saddle of venison Selle de venaison. 

Squabs, with water-cresses Pigeonnaux au cresson. 

Pheasant, larded Faisan pique. 



VEGETABLES. 

Potatoes, with white-sauce Pommes de terre a la sauce blanche. 

Lyonnaise potatoes Pommes de terre a la Lyonnaise. 

Potatoes in cases Pommes de terre farcies. 

Fried potatoes Pommes de terre frites. 

Parsnip fritters Beignets de panais. 

Asparagus Asperges. 

Cauliflowers, with cream dressing ....Choux-fleurs ^ la creme. 

Spinach Epinards. 

String-beans Haricots verts. 

Mashed potatoes Puree de pommes de terre. 

Pease, with butter Petits pois au beurre. 

Stuffed tomatoes Tomates farcies. 



SHELLS. 

Chickens in shells Coquilles de volaille. 

Lobster in shells Coquilles de homard. 

Fish in shells Coquilles de poisson. 

Mushrooms in shells Coquilles de champignons. 



MACARONI. 

Macaroni, with cheese Macaroni au fromage. 

Macaroni, with tomato-sauce Macaroni, sauce tomate. 



ENGLISH AND FRENCH GLOSSARY. 



EGGS. 

Stuffed eggs (Eufs farcis. 

Poached eggs (Eufs poches. 

Poached eggs, on anchovy toast (Eufs poches aux croutes d'anchois 

Omelet, with fine herbs Omelette aux fines herbes. 

Omelet, with mushrooms Omelette aux champignons. 

Omelet, with ham Omelette an jambon. 

Omelet, with rum Omelette au rhum. 

Omelet, with preserves Omelette aux confitures. 

Omelet soufflee, with preserves Omelette soufflee aux confitures. 



SALADS. 

Chicken Mayonnaise Mayonnaise de volaille. 

Cauliflower Mayonnaise Mayonnaise de choux-fleurs. 

Tomato Mayonnaise Mayonnaise de tomates. 

Salad of vegetables Salade de legumes. 

Lettuce salad Salade de laitue. 



FRITTERS. 

Peach fritters Beignets de peches. 

Cream fritters Beignets de bouillie, or Creme frite. 

Oyster fritters Beignets d'huitres. 



LITTLE VOLS-AU-VENT, OR BOUCH^IES. 

Patties of chickens Bouchees au poulet. 

Almost any kind of meat patties are ) „ , , ^ , 

,, , y Bouchees a la reme. 

called \ 

Strawberry patties Bouchees aux f raises. 

Patties, with lemon paste Bouchees au citron. 

Little tarts of preserves Tartelettes aux confitures. 

Little tarts of apples Tartelettes aux pommes. 

PUDDINGS. 

Cabinet-pudding Pouding de cabinet. 

Rice-pudding Pouding au riz. 

Roly-poly pudding Pouding roule. 

Bread-pudding Pouding au pain. 

Rice-pudding, with peaches Poudirg de riz aux peches* 

Apple soufflee Souffle de pommes. 

Apple-pie Tarte aux pommes. 



ENGLISH AND FRENCH GLOSSARY. 



Chocolate Bavarian cream Bavaroise au chocolat. 

Coffee Bavarian cream Bavaroise au cafe. 

Pine-apple Bavarian cream Bavaroise a 1' ananas. 



DESSERTS. 

Blanc-mange Blanc-manger, 

Peach compote Compote de peches. 

Apple compote Compote de pommes. 

Iced champagne Champagne frappe. 

Ice-cream, vanilla Creme glacee a la vanille. 

Ices of any kind generally written ) p, 

in menus f 

Chocolate ice-cream Glace de cr^me au chocolat. 

Madeira-wine jelly Gelee au Madere. 

Whipped jelly, with fruits Gelee fouettee aux fruits. 

Champagne jelly Gelee au vin de Champagne. 

Jelly, with fruits Gelee k la macedoine. 

Macaroons Macarons aux amandes. 

Peach marmalade Marmalade d'abricots. 




GENERAL INDEX. 



Sktting the Table and Serving the Dinner 13 

The Dinner Party ^^ 

Cooking as an Accomplishment ^^ 

Breakfast ^^ 

Lunch ?r 



Gentlemen's Suppers. 



39 

Evening Parties ^^ 

Something about Economy ^y 

Cooking Utensils ,: "^ 



DIRECTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. 



Boiling 43 

Frying 43 

" to Prepare Grease for. . . 44 

Broiling 45 

Roasting 46 

Sauteing 4*7 

Braising 47 

Larding 48 

Boning 48 

Egg and Bread Crumbing 48 



To Cook Puddings in Boiling 

Water 49 

Dried Celery, Parsley, etc., for 

Winter Use 49 

Seeds for Soups 49 

To Flavor with Lemon Zest 50 

The Cook's Table of Weights and 

Measures 50 

To Chop Suet 50 

Rising-powder Proportions 50 

To make Roux 51 



BREAD, AND BREAKFAST CAKES. 



To make Yeast 63 

To make Bread 64 

Mrs. Bonner's Bread 64 

French Bread 65 

Petits Pains 66 

Toast 67 

Dixie Biscuit 68 

Graham Bread 68 

Rusks 68 

Parker House Rolls 68 

Beaten Biscuit 68 

Soda and Cream of Tartar Bis- 
cuit 69 



Biscuits with Baking-powder 69 

Muffins 70 

Waffles 70 

Rice Waffles 70 

Rice Pancakes 70 

Hominy Cake 70 

Baked Hominy Grits 71 

Breakfast Puffs, or Pop-overs ... 71 

Henriettes for Tea (No. 1) 71 

Henriettes for Breakfast or Tea 

(No. 2) 71 

Wafer Biscuits 72 

Corn Bread 72 



366 



GENERAL INDEX. 



Hoe Cake 72 

Corn Cake 73 

Fried Corn Mush for Breakfast. 73 

Corn Mush 73 

Oatmeal Porridge 74 

Mother Johnson's Pancakes .... 74 



PAGE 

Sirup 74 

Buckwheat Cakes 74 

Pancakes, with Flour or Corn- 
meal 75 

Pancakes, with Bread-crumbs ... 75 
Strawberry Short-cake 75 



Tea 76 

Coffee 76 

Chocolate 78 

Cocoa 78 



SOUPS. 



Stock, or Pot au Feu 

A Simple Stock 

Gouffe's Receipt for Stock, or 

Bouillon 

Bouillon served at Luncheons, 

Germans, etc 

Amber Soup, or Clear Broth .... 
To make Caramel, or Burned 

Sugar, for coloring Broth .... 

Thickenings for Soup 

Additions to Beef Stock, to form 

Other Kinds of Soup 

Receipt for Force-meat Balls. . . . 
Soup, Macaroni 

" Vermicelli 

Noodles 

" to serve as a Vegetable 
Soup, Beef Noodle 

" Spring. 

" Juhenne, with Poached 



Eggs. 



" Asparagus 86 

Spinach Green 87 

Soup, Ox-tail 87 

" Chicken (Potage ^ la Reine) 87 

" Pur6e of Chicken .... 88 



Soup, Plain Chicken 88 

" Giblet 88 

" Mock-turtle : Receipts for 

Egg and Meat Balls. 89, 90 

" Mock-turtle (simple) 91 

" Gumbo 91 

" Gumbo and Tomato 92 

" Mullagatawny (an Indian 

Soup) 92 

" Oyster 93 

" Clam 9a 

" Bean 94 

" Bean and Tomato 94 

" Onion (Soupe k I'Ognon). . 94 
" Vegetable, without Meat 

(Puree aux Legumes) . . 95 

" Corn 96 

" Tomato, with Rice 96 

" Tomato (Puree aux To- 

mates) 96 

" Sorrel (Soupe k la Bonne 

Femme) 97 

" Potato (No. 1) 97 

" Potato (No. 2) 98 

Puree of String-beans 98 

Bisque of Lobsters 98 



FISH. 



Fish, to Boil 100 

" " au Court Bouillon . 100 

" to Fry 101 

" fried in Batter 101 

" to Broil 102 

" to Bake 102 

Stuffings for Fish 103 

Bread Stuffing 103 



Meat Stuffing 103 

To Bake a Fish with Wine . . 103 
To Stew Fish, or Fish en Mate- 
lote 104 

To Cook Fish au Gratin 104 

Fish a la Creme 105 

Salmon 106 

Salmon, to Broil 107 



GENERAL INDEX. 



367 



PAGE 

Salmon Cutlets 108 

" Slices of, Boiled 108 

" Canned 108 

Shad. 108 

Trout 108 

Trout in Cases or in Shells 

(en Coquilles) 109 

Cod-fah 109 

Cod-fish, Crimped 109 



PAGE 

Cod-fish, Salt 110 

Balls 110 

Fish Chowder 110 

Perch, Sun-fish, etc. (Pan-fish) . , 111 

Mackerel and Smelts Ill 

Fried Slices of Fish, with To- 
mato-sauce (Fish h. rOrh\y). . 112 

To Fry Eels .'. . . 112 

Eels Stewed 112 



SHELL-FISH. 



Oysters 113 

Oysters, Raw and Fried 113 

" Scalloped, in Shells . 114 

" Scalloped 115 

Oyster Soup 93 

" Stew 115 

Oysters, Fricassee of (Oysters 

aiaBoulette) 115 

Oyster Fritters 230 

Oysters for Patties, or Vols- 

au-vent 241 

Oysters, Canned, to Roast. ... 116 

" Spiced 116 



Clams 116 

Clams Cooked with Cream. . . 116 

Clam Chowder 116 

" " Tunison 11*7 

" Fritters 230 

" Soup IIY 

Crabs and Lobsters IIV 

Crabs, Soft-shell 117 

" Deviled 117 

Lobster, Deviled 118 

" Chops 118 

" a Good Way to Pre- 
pare 118 



Frogs, Fried 119 



SAUCES. 



Sauce, Drawn-butter 121 

Pickle 121 

Boiled-egg 121 

Caper 122 

Anchovy 122 

Shrimp 122 

Lobster 122 

Oyster 123 

Parsley 123 

Cauliflower 123 

Lemon 123 

Chicken 123 

Maitre-d'hotel 124 

Mint 124 



Sauce, Currant- jelly 124 

" Tomato (No. 1) 124 

*' Tomato (No. 2) 125 

" Hollandaise, or Dutch 

Sauce 125 

Mushrooms, for Garnish 126 

Sauce, Mushroom 126 

" " White 126 

" " (Canned).... 127 

" Bechamel (Simple) 127 

" 127 

" aux Fines Herbes 128 

" Tartare 128 

" Brown (Simple) 128 



BEEF. 



Beef, to Roast or Bake 130 

Yorkshire Pudding 130 

Beef ^ la Mode 131 

" Braised (No. 1).... 132 



Beef, Braised (No. 2) 132 

" " with Horse-radish 

Sauce 133 

" Fillet of 133 



368 



GENERAL INDEX. 



PAGE 

Beef, Fillet of, to Trim 133 

» " to Cook 134 

" " to Garnish 135 

" " to Roast 135 

" " to Braise 136 

" '* to Trim with Veg- 

etables {k la 

Jardiniere). . . 136 
" " Cut into Slices or 

Scollops 137 

Beefsteak 137 

Beef, Corned 138 

" " to serve Cold 139 

Beefsteak Stewed 139 

Rolled 140 

Beef Roll (Cannelon de Boeuf) . 140 



What to do with Cold Cooked 

Beef 140 

Beef Hash 141 

Meat Pie 141 

" Rissoles 142 

Beef or any Cold-meat Sausages 143 

Rice and Meat Cakes 143 

Beef Croquettes 143 

A Cheap Arrangement 144 

Mince -pies (made from Rem- 
nants of Cold Beef) 144 

Pot-pie of Veal, Beef, or Chicken 144 

Calf's Heart 144 

Tongue, with Sauce 145 

" Slices, with Spinach and 

Sauce Tartare 145 



VEAL. 



Roast of Veal— the Fillet 146 

A Fricandeau of Veal 147 

Veal Cutlets, Broiled 147 

" *' Sauted and Fried. 148 

" " Braised 148 

" or Mutton Chops (en Papil- 

lote) 148 



Blanquette of Veal 149 

Blind Hare 150 

Bewitched Veal 150 

Plain Veal Stew or Pot-pie 150 

To Cook Liver (No. 1) 151 

" (No. 2) 151 

Calf's Brains 151 



SWEET-BREADS. 



Sweet-breads Fried 152 

*' k la Milanaise. . . . 153 
" Larded and Brais- 
ed 153 



Sweet-breads Baked 154 

Sweet-bread Fritters 154 

" Croquettes 154 

Skewer of Sweet-breads 155 



MUTTON. 



Leg of Mutton Boiled 156 

Mutton Cutlets 156 

Ragouts 156 

Another Ragout 157 



Sheep's Tongues, with Spinach. 158 
" " a la Mayonnaise 168 
" " with Sauce Tar- 
tare 158 



LAMB. 



Lamb, Leg of. Roasted 159 

" Fore Quarter of. Roasted 159 
" Chops 159 



Saddle of Lamb or Mutton .... 159 

Lamb Croquettes 160 

Sheep's Kidneys 160 



PORK. 



To Cure Bacon 161 

Roast Little Pig 161 



Pork, Roast 161 

" Cutlets, Broiled 162 



GENERAL INDEX. 



369 



PAGE 

Pork and Beans 162 

Bcston Baked Beans 162 

Entree of Apples and Pork. ... 163 

Sausages 163 

Hams, to Cure 163 

Ham, to Boil 164 

" and Eggs 164 

" to Fry or Saute 164 



PAGE 

Pork Fried in Batter, or Egged 

and Bread-crumbed 164 

Breakfast - bacon Dish (Mrs. 

Trowbridge's) 164 

Rashers of Pork 165 

Sandwiches (No. 1) 165 

" (No. 2) 165 

Small Rolls, with Salad FiUing. 165 



POULTRY. 



Turkey, Roast 166 

Stuffing for Baked Turkey, 

Chicken, Veal, and Lamb .... 167 
Stuffing for Roast Turkeys, 

Chickens, Ducks, and Geese. 16*7 
Chestnut, Potato, Veal, and Oys- 

• ter Stuffings 168 

Turkey, Boiled 168 

" or Chicken Hash 168 

" Braised 168 

" Galantine, or Boned 

Turkey 169 

Mixed Spices for Seasoning.. . . 170 
Boned Turkey or Chicken (Sim- 
ple) 170 

Chickens 171 

Chickens, Spring 171 

" " Baked 172 

" Roast and Boiled . . 172 



Chickens or Fish, Baked. ... 172 

" Fricassee of (No. 1) 173 

(No. 2) 174 

" Ranaque 174 

Chicken Breasts 175 

" Deviled, with Sauce. 175 

" Croquettes (No. 1). . 175 

(No. 2).. 176 

" Cutlets 176 

" with Macaroni or 

with Rice 177 

" Chetneyof 177 

" Curry of 178 

" for Supper 178 

To Fringe Celery for Gar- 
nishing 179 

Chicken Livers 179 

Turkish Pilau 179 



GEESE, DUCKS, AND GAME. 



Goose, Roast 180 

" Stuffing 181 

Ducks 181 

" Wild 181 

" and Pease, Stewed 181 

" Stewed 182 

" Fillet of 182 

Poivrade Sauce 182 

Pigeons Stewed in Broth 182 

" Roast 183 

" Broiled 183 

Prairie-chicken or Grouse 183 

" to Choose a Young 184 
" or Grouse, Roast- 
ed 184 

Quails Parboiled and Baked. . . 184 

" Roasted 185 

Bread-sauce, for Game 185 

K 



Cutlets of Quails or of Pigeons. 185 

Scollops of Quails, with Truffles . 186 

Espagnole Sauce 186 

Quails Broiled 187 

" Braised 187 

Snipe and Woodcock Fried. ... 187 

Roasted.. 187 

Reed-birds 188 

Plovers 188 

Pheasants 188 

Venison 188 

Venison, the Saddle of 188 

" Haunch of, Roast or 

Baked 189 

Steaks, to Broil 189 

" Stewed 189 

Rabbits Roasted 189 

" Baked 190 



370 



GENERAL INDEX. 



VEGETABLES. 



Vegetables, to Preserve the Color 190 

Potatoes Boiled (No. 1) 190 

to Boil (No. 2) 191 

Mashed 191 

*' a la Neige 192 

" to Bake 192 

" in Cases 192 

" Baked with Beef 192 

" h. la Parisienne 193 

" Saratoga 193 

Fried 194 

" Lyonnaise 194 

Potato Croquettes 194 

" Roses 195 

Potatoes for Breakfast 195 

Potato PufE 195 

Potatoes, Shoo-fly 195 

Turnips 195 

" in Sauce 196 

Parsnips Sauted 196 

Parsnip Fritters 196 

Oyster-plant Fritters 19*7 

Oyster-plants Stewed 197 

Carrots 197 

Beets 197 

Cauliflower, with White Sauce. . 197 

Cauliflowers, with Cheese 198 

Asparagus 198 

Pease 199 



PAQK 

Spinach 199 

Tomatoes, Stewed 200 

" with Mayonnaise Sauce 226 

" Stuffed and Baked ... 200 

Onions 201 

" with Cream 201 

String-beans 201 

in Salad 226 

Lima Beans 201 

" " with Cream 202 

Celery, Fried 202 

Egg-plant 202 

Cabbage, to Boil 202 

" Stewed 203 

Corn Boiled on the Cob 203 

" Mock Oysters 203 

" Custard, to be served as a 

Vegetable 203 

" Pudding for Tea 204 

" Grated, Sauted 204 

Cranberries, to Cook 204 

Artichokes 204 

Apples, Fried, for Breakfast . . . 204 
A Rice Dish (Risotto k la Mi- 

lanaise) 204 

Another Rice Dish 205 

Mushrooms in Crust (Croute aux 

Champignons) 205 

Flaxseed for a Centre-piece. . . , 205 



Casseroles 



205 



SHELLS, OR COQUILLES. 



Chickens in Shells 206 

Oysters " " 207 

Fish " " 207 



Lobsters or Shrimps in 

Shells 207 

Mushrooms in Shells 207 



Ham, Potted 
Tongue, " 
Beef, " 



POTTING. 



208 

208 
208 



Birds, Potted 208 

Fish, " 209 

Chicken, Tongue, or Ham, Potted 209 



MACARONI. 



Macaroni, with Cheese 209 

" and Welsh Rare-bit.. 210 
" with Sweet-breads .. . 210 



Macaroni, with Tomato-sauce . . 210 

" au Gratin 211 

Crackers, with Cheese 211 



GENERAL INDEX. 



371 



EGGS. 



PAGE 

Eggs, Boiled 212 

" Poached 212 

" " on Anchovy Toast 213 

" Stuffed (No. 1) 213 

" (No. 2) 213 

" " with Cheese 213 

Omelets 214 

Omelet, Plain 214 

" with Tomatoes 215 

" '* Green Pease ... 216 

" " Ham 216 

" " Fine Herbs 216 

" " Mushrooms. . . . 216 



PAQK 

Omelet, with Shrimps 216 

" " Oysters 216 

" " Cheese (Fondue) 216 
" " " and Mac- 
aroni. 21*7 

" Souffle, Fried 21*7 

" Sweet 217 

" with Rum 218 

" Souffle 218 

" with Cauliflowers, As- 
paragus Points, or 

other Vegetables. . 219 



SALADS. 



Sauce Mayonnaise 220 

" aiaRavingote 221 

" Mayonnaise (red) 222 

French Dressing 222 

Combinations 223 

Lettuce , 223 

Potato Salad 224 



Cold Slaw 224 Salad h la Filley 



Salad of Vegetables 225 

Mayonnaise of Cauliflower.. , 225 

" of Tomatoes 226 

String-beans in Salad 226 

Chicken Salad (No. 1) 227 

" " (No. 2) 228 

Mayonnaise of Salmon 228 



228 



FRITTERS. 



Fritter Batter, French (No. 1). . 229 

" (No. 2) 229 

Fritters — Pine-apple, Apple Pre- 
serve, or Peach 229 

Fritters, Ovster or Clam (No. 1) 230 

" Ciam(No. 2) 230 

" Kentish 230 



Fried Cream (Cr^me Frite) 230 

Fritters — Peach, Apricot, or 

Apple 231 

Fritters, Bread 231 

Pork 164 

" Corn 232 

Apple 232 



PASTRY. 



Puff Paste 233 

" " Careme's Receipt for 234 

To make the Pies 236 

Pie Paste of Lard and Butter. . 236 

A Common Paste 236 

An Apple-pie 236 

(Plain) 237 

Fruit and Berry Pies, or Tarts. . 237 

Pie, Lemon (No. 1) 237 

" (No. 2) 238 

" Orange 238 



Pie, Pumpkin (No. 1) 238 

" " (No. 2) 239 

" Mince (No. 1) 239 

" " (No. 2) 239 

" Potato 240 

" Pine-apple 240 

" Chess 240 

Small Vols-au-vent, or Patty- 
cases 241 

Oysters for Vols-au-vent, Scal- 
lop-shells, or served on But- 



372 



GENERAL INDEX. 



tered Toast for Breakfast 

(No. 1) 

Oysters for Vols-au-vent, Scal- 
lop-shells, or served on But- 
tered Toast for Breakfast 

(No.2) 

Vols-au-vent of Oysters (No. 3). 242 
" of Sweet-breads . . 242 

" of Chickens, Veal, 

Game, Shrimps, 



241 



242 



PAGE 

Salmon, Mush- 
rooms, etc 243 

Vols-au-vent, with Strawberries, 

Raspberries, etc. 243 
" with Strawberries, 

etc 243 

Lemon Paste 244 

Mince-meat Patties 244 

Cream Rissoles (Rissoles a la 
Creme) 244 



CANNING. 



To Can Tomatoes 245 

" Peaches 246 

" String-beans 246 

" Okra and Tomatoes 246 

" Raspberries 24*7 



To Can Greengages 247 

" Corn 247 

" Succotash 247 

" Corn and Tomatoes . . . 247 



PRESERVES, MARMALADES, AND COMPOTES. 



Preserves, Sirup for 249 

" Citron 250 

" Quince 250 

" Tomato 251 

" Grape 251 

" Apple Ginger 251 

Candied Fruits 252 

Marmalades 252 

Marmalade, Quince 252 

" Peach 252 

" Orange 253 

Jam, Raspberry 253 



Jam, Greengage 253 

Brandy Peaches 253 

To Jelly Fruits 254 

Jelly, Currant (No. 1) 254 

" (No. 2) 255 

" *' (Mrs.Walworth's) 256 

Compotes 256 

Compotes, Sirup for 256 

Compote of Peaches and Apri- 
cots 257 

Compote of Apples 257 

" a Beautiful Stuffed 257 



PICKLES AND CATCHUPS. 



Pickles, for Country Use 257 

Pickle, Indian 258 

" Chowchow 258 

To Pickle Cauliflowers 259 

Pickled Walnuts 259 

" Green Tomatoes and 

Onions 259 

" Onions 260 



Pickled Bell-peppers 260 

Pickles, Ripe Cucumber 260 

Sweet Pickled Peaches 260 

Strawberry Pickle 261 

Catchup, Tomato (No. 1) 261 

" (No. 2) 261 

" Gooseberry 261 

*' Cucumber 262 



CHEESE. 



Welsh Rare-bit 264 

Cottage Cheese 265 

Ramekins 265 



Ramekins, with Ale (Warne). . . 265 
" Pastry (Warne) 266 



GENERAL INDEX. 



373 



SWEET SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS. 



PAGE 

Sauce, Butter 266 

Sauces, Sirup 266 

Sauce, a Plain and Cheap 266 

" Same, Richer 267 

" Whipped-cream 267 

Sauces, Fruit 267 



PAGE 

Sauce, Strawberry (for Baked 

Puddings) 268 

Boiled Custard Sauce 268 

A Good Sauce for Puddings . . . 268 

Sabyllon 268 

Caramel Sauce 269 



PUDDINGS AND CUSTARDS. 



Plum-pudding, with Brandy or 

Rum (Gouffe) 269 

(No. 2) 270 

Pudding with Remains of Plum- 
pudding 270 

«' Plainer Fruit 270 

" Suet 271 

" Prune 271 

" Eve's 271 

" a Spiced Apple 271 

" Cottage 272 

" Minute 272 

" Nantucket Berry 272 

" Gelatine 272 

" Tapioca 273 

Tapioca Cream 273 

Pudding, Cabinet 273 

Puddings, Batter, Baked 274 

Pudding, Roly-poly, Boiled 274 

Berry Rolls, Baked 274 

Pudding, Swedish 274 

" Cherry 275 



Pudding, a Corn-starch 275 

" Cocoa-nut 275 

" Chocolate 276 

Puddings, Cocoa-nut, in Paper 

Cases 276 

Egg SouflSe, in Paper Cases 277 

Pudding, Snow 277 

Custard, Boiled (No. 1) 277 

" " (No. 2) 278 

Apple Meringue 278 

Baked Apples 278 

Friar's Omelet 279 

Floating Islands 279 

Pudding, Tipsy 279 

" Lemon 280 

Blanc-mange 280 

Pudding, Corn-starch 280 

Bread 281 

" Bread-and-butter 281 

" Bread, Fried 282 

*' Indian-corn 282 



BAVARIAN CREAMS, ETC. 



Bavarian Cream, Vanilla 283 

" " Chocolate 283 

" " Strawberry. . . 283 

" " Almond 283 

" " Peaches 284 



Bavarian Cream, Pine-apple. . . 284 

*' " Coffee 284 

Charlotte-russe 285 

Ambrosia 286 



DESSERTS OF RICE. 



Rice, to Boil 286 

Rice-pudding 286 

Rice-cones 287 

Rice-cake, with Peaches 287 

Ground Rice - pudding, with 
Chocolate Sauce 287 



Rice-cake, with Pine-apple 287 

Orange Snow-balls 288 

Apple " 288 

Rice Souffle 288 

" Croquettes 289 

" Pancakes, with Preserves . 289 



374 



GENERAL INDEX. 



WINE JELLIES. 



PAGE 

Jelly, Wine 290 

" Orange (molded with 

Quarters of Oranges). . 291 
" Lemon 291 

Macedoine of Fruits 292 



JelUes, Fancy 292 

What to do with Parts of Jelly 

left over in Winter 293 

Jelly, Calf's-foot 293 

" Whipped, with Fruits. .. . 294 



CAKE. 



Cake, Sponge 295 

" White 295 

Jumbles 296 

" Almond 296 

Cake, Cocoa-nut 296 

" Fruit 297 

" English Pound 297 

" Boston Cream 297 

Crullers 298 

Doughnuts 298 

Bread-cake 298 

Gingerbread (No. 1) 298 

" (No. 2) 299 

Cake, Chocolate 299 

" Mountain 299 



Cream Cake or Pie 300 

Sponge Jelly-cake 300 

Cocoa-nut Cones 300 

Croquante Cake 301 

To Blanch Almonds 301 

Rebecca Cake 301 

Ginger-snaps 301 

Plain Cookies 301 

Almond Macaroons 302 

Lady's-fingers 302 

Meringues k la Crfeme 302 

German Cake 303 

Ranaque Buns 304 

Frosting 304 

Boiled Icing 305 



CANDIES. 

Caramels 305 I Candy, Vinegar. 

Candy, White-sugar 305 | 



306 



ICES. 



Cream, Frozen Whipped 307 

Ice-cream, Vanilla 307 

Cream, Delmonico Vanilla 307 

Ice-cream, Chocolate 308 

To Make a Mold of Chocolate 

and Vanilla Creams 308 

Ice-cream, Strawberry 308 

Cream, Napolitaine 309 

Ice-cream, Chocolate Fruit 309 

Frozen Fruit Custard 309 

Ice-cream, German Steamer, 

Baked 310 



Pine-apple Ice-cream Pudding . 310 

Iced Rice-pudding 311 

Biscuit Glaces, in Small Cases . 312 
" " (Francatelli) . . . 312 

Nesselrode Pudding (Careme's 

Receipt) 312 

Iced Pudding 313 

TuttiFrutti 313 

Fresh Peaches Half Frozen 314 

Peaches and Cream Frozen. . . . 314 
Ice, Lemon 314 

" Currant 314 



COOKERY FOR THE SICK. 



Receipts for the Sick-room 319 

Tea 319 

Beef Tea, or Essence of Beef. 319 



Another Beef Tea (for Con- 
valescents) 320 

Beef Juice . 320 



GENERAL INDEX. 



375 



320 
320 
320 
321 
321 



Chicken Broth 

" Custard 

" Panada 

Mold of Chicken Jelly. . , , 
Chicken and Ceylon Moss . 

Mutton Broth 321 

Veal and Sago Broth 321 

Beef and Tapioca Broth 322 

How to Prepare an Uncooked 

Egg - 322 

Tapioca Jelly 322 

Sea-moss Blanc-mange 323 

Arrowroot Jelly or Blanc- 
mange 323 

Corn-starch and Rice Pud- 
dings 323 

Rice Jelly 323 

Rice-water for Drink 324 

Jelly and Ice (for Fever Pa- 
tients) 324 

Parched Rice 324 



PAGE 

Milk Porridge 324 

Beef Sandwich 324 

Prepared Flour for Summer 

Complaints 325 

Milk Toast 325 

Panada 325 

Ash-cake 326 

Milk Punch 326 

Egg-and-milk Punch 326 

Herb Teas 327 

Boneset for a Cough or Cold 327 

Botanic Cough Sirup 327 

Arrangement of Dishes for In- 
valids 328 

Beefsteak 328 

Mutton-chop 329 

Breast of Chicken 329 

Chicken Boiled 329 

Venison Steak 329 

To Prepare a Bird 330 



Intalid's Bills of Fare 330 

Prepared Food for Invalids, etc 331 



Pap 

Wheat - flour and Corn - meal 

Gruel 335 

Roasted Rice 335 

Corn-meal Gruel 336 



SOME DISHES FOR BABY, 
335 



Food for Infants with Weak Di- 
gestive Organs 336 

Oatmeal Gruel (No. 1) 336 

Beef (No. 2) 336 



HOW TO SERVE FRUITS. 



Strawberries 336 

Mixed Fruits 337 

Water-melons 337 

Cantaloupe Melons 337 

Currants 338 



Currants or other Fruits Iced . . 338 
How they eat Oranges in Ha- 
vana 338 

Fresh Peaches 338 

Pine-apples 338 



BEVERAGES. 



Punch 339 

Milk Punch 339 

Roman Punch 340 

Claret Punch 340 

Eggnog 340 

Sherry, Claret, or Catawba Cob- 
blers 341 

Lemonade . 341 



Tom and Jerry 341 

Mint-julep 341 

Milk Punch and Egg-and-milk 

Punch , 341 

Blackberry Cordial 341 

Currant Wine 342 

Raspberry Vinegar 343 



376 



GENERAL INDEX. 



SUITABLE COMBINATION OF DISHES. 



PAGE 

Soup 342 

Fish 343 

Beef 343 

Corned Beef 343 

Turkeys 343 

Chickens 344 

Lamb 344 

Pork 344 



PAGE 

Mutton 344 

Veal 344 

Roast Goose 344 

Game 344 

Cheese 345 

Sweet-breads 345 

Roman Punch 345 

Cantaloupe Melons 345 



SERVING OF WINES. 



Proper Temperature in which 

Wines should be Served .... 347 
Treatment of Wines 347 



Choice of Brands 347 

Bill-of-fare Table 348 



To Prepare Company Dinners 349 



English and French Glossary, 



359 



THE END. 



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